Bad Luck Rose
by DPLxStrife
Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be you?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you." Rated for safety, warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I know a lot of people won't exactly like this RWBY fanfic's main relationship, but it's come to the point where I've run out of fucks to give. I should probably throw out a couple warnings: incest, drinking, and eventual mature content.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 1***

Qrow leaned casually against the doorframe of Team RWBY's dorm, an amused smirk on his face as he watched both of his nieces play their fighting game on their scrolls. "Don't you have fights to get ready for?" _'Heh…looks like I trained her well. You'd be really proud of your daughter if you were here, Summer. She's grown during her time here.'_

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby turned around, her big silver eyes sparkling with happiness as her favorite uncle slicked his messy hair back. "I thought you were busy getting in trouble with Professor Ozpin for tearing up our courtyard." Qrow laughed, walking over to his nieces and sitting on one of the four precariously made bunk beds. "Nah, Oz and I go way back. We're cool." _'Bunk beds, huh? Good times, Summer. Good times. It's a pity Taiyang and Raven had to ruin them by being rowdy.'_

Yang let out a snort, her character punching Ruby's in the face. "You mean you're pretty cool for an old guy." The blonde was just as bad as her father when it came to giving the huntsman jabs about his age, and the red-eyed man gave her an unamused stare as Ruby giggled at her older sister's comment. "Not funny. I'm probably one of the most popular guys to ever graduate this place." _'Spitting image of you, Tai. You utter pain.'_

"Um…Uncle Qrow? Is it true that you once…you know, wore a skirt because you thought it was a kilt?" the silver-eyed girl asked. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment, and Qrow let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "Great. Taiyang told you that story, didn't he? I think I need to have a little chat with him next time I see him." _'At least the ladies thought I had nice legs. Gotta take something out of it.'_

"Yep! And he said that the girls were all admiring your lower body's muscle structure. Whatever that means," Ruby replied with a hint of confusion in her tone. Yang covered her mouth, trying hard to cover up her laughter, and Qrow rolled his red eyes. "That's a story for when you're a bit older, kiddo…" _'It's bad enough that you want me to give the 'birds and the bees' talk to her. But now you're starting to tell her our team's stories? Gimme a break, Tai.'_

The door to Team RWBY's dorm opened again, and the other two members of his nieces' team entered. Weiss gave him a dirty look, and the dark-haired girl next to her picked up a book and started to read silently. "Alright old man, spit it out. Just how do you know my sister!?"

Qrow smirked, and he waited for Yang to place her hands over Ruby's ears despite small noises of protest before he started to tell the very entertaining and borderline scandalous story of how he and Winter met to the heiress. "Well you see, I happened to be on a mission in the swamps outside of Mistral. I stumbled upon this dodgy little town, and I decided to get some local information in the inn; the place was filled with lowlifes, thieves, and even a few assassins. That's when it all happened." _'Heh heh…she sure as hell isn't going to like this one. Still, it's too much fun to poke at Winter.'_

"What, did you get defeated by the sight of the innkeeper's skirt length because you're a perverted dusty crow?" Blake muttered, her cat ears twitching under her bow. She had placed a bookmark in her book and placed it down, folding her arms across her chest, and the huntsman gave her an annoyed stare. "While I was there, I saw this tall pale woman sitting all alone. So, being a gentleman, I decided to sit down next to her. After talking for a little bit and finding out she was Winter Schnee, we had a little…contest, of sorts." _'Good thing Ruby can't hear this part. Don't want her mentally scarred yet.'_

Weiss's already pale face went even whiter, and she swallowed slowly before leaning closer to him. "What exactly do you mean by, 'contest'? What did you do to my sister!?" She was starting to breathe furiously, and Yang simply looked amused by the story so far. She even mouthed for him to continue, as her younger sister was busy petting Zwei's ears and not paying any sort of attention. _"Keep going! This is hilarious!"_

Qrow gave her a wink, their universal sign for a real raunchy part of a story to make its inevitable appearance. Yang had heard over a dozen inappropriate stories regarding her uncle and his team, and had seemingly enjoyed every single one of them. _"Don't worry. It's coming up right now."_ "We decided to have a bit of a drinking game. And then…well, Winter and I ended up in the same bed."

Yang fell on the floor, holding her side and tearing up from laughter. "O-oh my! You slept with Weiss's sister!" As the blonde rolled around on the floor, hitting Blake in the legs, Weiss and Ruby leapt to their feet, one mouth agape in shock and the other contorted in fury. "YOU WHAT!?"

"Why didn't you stay together?" Blake asked quietly, the emo cat Faunus whacking her partner on the head with a book. "Didn't like the cold?" Qrow smirked as he leaned back, folding his arms above his head. "Yeah, you could say something like that. Let's just say ice and bedroom activity don't exactly mix." _'Sheesh, Winter nearly gave me frostbite a few times. I thought no amount of hot showers would get me back up.'_

"You are so dead, you dirty old man," the heiress growled. Ruby's eyes were wide, and she sank to her knees, burying her head in her hands. "Yang! Why did you let me hear that!? That's so gross!" She tucked her knees close to her and started to rock back and forth, her face redder than her cape.

The black/red haired girl mumbled something under her breath, and Blake's cat ears flattened under her bow. "…" Ruby looked away guiltily, and Qrow's curiosity perked a little. It was no secret that his youngest niece was by far the most innocent member of the team, and judging by the looks that Weiss and Yang were giving Blake, she probably heard something she wasn't supposed to. _'Looks like Rubes said something she didn't want anyone to hear. But being part cat means you have excellent hearing.'_

He stood up, stretching his arms and legs. "Alright…I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." _'I won't ask her about it now. That'll be something to ask her later on, when she's not going to be surrounded by her own friends and beyond embarrassed.'_ The huntsman turned to leave when he stopped, looking at the four girls. "Look…just remember that you've all got ways to go. And don't think graduating means you're done. Every day in the field is worth a week in this place. You will all go far, but only if you never stop learning. If you never stop growing. I'll catch you kids later." _'It's about time for me to talk to Oz about the candidate for the Fall Maiden's power, anyway.'_

' _And I have a good feeling who it's going to turn out to be.'_

-0-

Ruby watched as Qrow left, and she let out a sigh, looking down at the floor. _'It's just wrong. So wrong.'_ She shuffled her feet, trying to block out the sounds of her teammates talking about the upcoming fights in the Vytal Festival. _'Why? Why him? Of all the people to feel this way towards…why does it have to be him?'_

The short-haired girl placed herself on her bed, and hung her head in shame. She tried more than once to completely banish those feelings his mere presence invoked. But, even though her mind tried to install a serious amount of common sense within her, her heart continued to refuse to listen to reason. _'He's my own uncle, for goodness' sake. I…I shouldn't have this kind of feelings towards him.'_

She felt a hand on her knee, and she jumped out of her skin. "W-what!?" Ruby relaxed when she found herself staring into a pair of familiar amber eyes, and the black bow covering her cat ears. "Oh…you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Yang and Weiss just went down to train for a bit before their match tomorrow," Blake murmured. She looked into Ruby's silver orbs, a concerned look on her face. "Ruby...I heard what you said. I just didn't want to say anything with them around. You're…you're in love with your uncle, aren't you?"

Ruby sunk her head in her hands, her eyes threatening to burst. "I-I don't know why! It's just…he's always there for me. I know it's wrong, but I can't help it!" She tried to cover her approaching sobs, her shoulders shaking. "It's not fair…why does it have to be him!? Why does the one person I feel like this towards have to be my own uncle!?" _'He's like my dad! It's just disgusting in so many ways!'_

Blake put her hand on her shoulder, allowing her leader to rest her head in her lap. "Sometimes…it just happens. I thought it was wrong to like Yang the way I do at first. But after what happened to me in the White Fang…I realized I could never trust another guy again."

"What happened?" Ruby asked. Blake very rarely brought up anything about her time in White Fang, and the cat Faunus lowered her tearful gaze. "I…I was used. By my old partner, Adam. I thought he actually cared about me. But I was nothing more than his plaything…that was a huge part of why I left. I couldn't stay around someone who defiled me…"

She wiped her eyes, biting her lip. "That's why I didn't go to the dance with Sun. I was so shaken by what happened to me. But Yang makes me feel wanted. She makes me feel happier than I ever have been. Yang loves me despite of what happened; she loves me for who I am, even though she knows that I may never recover from my past."

Ruby sat up, giving her teammate a hug, and Blake ran a hand down her back to comfort her. "My advice is to think about it carefully. Are you absolutely sure that you love Qrow more than anything else and it's not puberty messing with your head? If you are…then I say you tell him. He won't hurt you; he may be a bit of a drunken idiot who slept with Weiss's sister, but I can see just how much he cares for you."

Ruby nodded, wiping her face. "Right…I can't believe he did that! I mean, it was obvious that they knew each other from somewhere, but I never expected it to because of something dirty or anything. Ooh, I'm gonna kick his butt!" _'Qrow…I know that's it's not right to feel like this towards you. But I'm absolutely certain about this. I love you, more than anything.'_

"That's the spirit," Blake smiled. She stood up, her cat ears twitching, and she tilted her head as she spotted something on the floor. "Hey…what's that?" She crouched down to pick it up, and Ruby saw that it was a small dusty book with a note that had Qrow's handwriting. "It's called 'Silver Eyes'. Never heard of it. I think your uncle dropped it by mistake."

"I'll go deliver it." Ruby jumped up, swiping it and running out of the door. "I'll go check Professor Ozpin's office first!" She sprinted past JNPR's dorm, startling Jaune and Nora, and she waved at them. "Hi guys! Sorry I can't really talk; I got a delivery to make!" _'And I just want to see him again…even though he only left like five minutes ago.'_

The two members of Team JNPR nearly fell back, and the short haired girl heard Jaune yell at her. "Hey, slow down! You're going to be the reason they install speed cameras in the hallways!" Ruby laughed at the idea of Ozpin issuing traffic tickets; it seemed almost as ridiculous as the headmaster putting an alarm on a sandwich or his cookies. _'Nah…I'll just use my semblance to make up lost time.'_

Ruby began to use her semblance to make it a bit easier, disappearing into a cloud of rose petals and zooming throughout the school's hallways until she accidentally bumped headfirst into someone. "Waah!" _'Oops. I knew this was a bad idea.'_

"Are you okay kiddo?" a wonderfully familiar voice asked. Ruby got up to see she had run into Qrow, and she nodded quickly, her silver eyes wide. "Y-yeah! I just found a book you dropped in our dorm and tried to deliver it…" _'I…I can't find the words. Even though it's just the two of us in this hall.'_

She handed him the book nervously, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest, and her uncle took it with a slow breath. "Thanks. You saved me a bit of a tongue lashing from Oz." He gently patted her head, and Ruby closed her eyes to silently enjoy the feeling of his callused hands. "Next time, try not to run us both over, alright? I'm a little sore as it is."

"M-mmhm…" Ruby basked in the moment for a bit longer before Qrow helped her to her feet. "Up you get, you great lump. You're really starting to grow, you know that?"

"Well, I have been drinking milk…"

"I don't mean physically, though you've certainly done that. I meant mentally. Being a team's leader means you have a lot of responsibility. And you've coped with it well, even though you're the youngest in the school. I'm proud of you, Ruby."

"T-thank you…" Ruby's face heated up, and she looked down at the floor, shuffling her feet. Hearing Qrow give any type of praise meant the world to her, and she opened her mouth to say what she wanted to when Professor Ozpin stepped out of an elevator. "Qrow. We need to talk for a few, please."

The huntsman nodded, and he brushed Ruby's hair one final time before he walked into the elevator with the headmaster. "See you around Rubes." The young leader sank to the ground happily as he left, and she smiled to herself as she looked up at the bright ceiling of the academy. _'I got a compliment from my favorite person…'_

"Today is a good day."

 _ **A/N: That's it for the first chapter. I'm kinda testing the waters here, as I normally don't write longer RWBY fanfictions. See you soon.**_

 _ **P.S. I keep binge-watching RWBY Vol. 4, and I can't get over Tyrian's epic crazy laugh XD. Gotta say, he's probably my favorite new villain in the series.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Time for chapter 2 of Bad Luck Rose…and I have to say I'm rather surprised at how much I like this. Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of incest fanfictions, normally because I don't see many with real emotion and it's just pointless sex. But this one has a different feel to it, I guess.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 2***

Qrow stepped out of the elevator and into Professor Ozpin's office, and the headmaster took a seat at his desk. "I see that your nieces are very happy to see you. Particularly young Miss Rose." The huntsman leaned against one of the pillars in the office, his hand reaching into his pants pocket and pulling out the book. "I taught her how to fight. And here's that book you told me to get." _'It's a pity I couldn't ask her what she had said. But it's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon.'_

"Ah, thank you." Ozpin took it, and he placed it onto his desk before picking up a cup of coffee, taking a sip. "Does Ruby know what makes her special?" Qrow shook his head, his hands folding behind his head. "As far as I know, she doesn't. I haven't said a thing about it." _'Silver eyes are incredibly rare. She really is like you, Summer.'_

"She reminds you of her, doesn't she?" Ozpin whispered quietly. Qrow looked away, his hands sliding into his pockets. "Yeah…a little too much. It's my fault that Summer died." _'I told her my semblance would get her killed. Yet she refused to listen, and it took her life. If I had tried harder to stop her…she would still be alive, and Ruby would have her mother.'_ "I should've stopped her."

Ozpin shook his head, his eyes sad. "It wasn't your fault that you were given the power of misfortune. And you knew Summer better than anyone; once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. I seem to recall you and Taiyang being victims of one of her April Fool's Day pranks, despite your sister trying to stop her."

Qrow scoffed at the mention of Raven, reaching into his pocket for his flask. To his relief, it was still mostly full of his whiskey, and he pulled it out to take a swig. "Right…that might've been the only time she was there for Tai after their little one-night stand." _'Unbelievable, sis. You disappear for years, and can't even bother sending one message to your own daughter apart from ordering me to tell her that she won't get help from you again. Really great parenting…it's a marvel that Yang didn't drive herself crazy looking all over Remnant for you.'_

"Is that what that noise was? I thought a pair of Beowolves had gotten loose from Peter's class and were running rampant throughout the school. I even sent out a search team to look for them."

"Real funny, Oz…" Qrow grumbled, unscrewing the cap and beginning to drink. The wonderfully familiar taste of the whiskey flowed over his tongue, and after a few solid chugs, he put the cap back on it. _'Her and Tai are the main reason I'm an alcoholic. Plus it makes fights with Winter that much more fun.'_ The black-haired huntsman could feel a tantalizing buzz begin to grow, and he placed the flask back in his pocket as he watched one of General Ironwood's ships fly past the tower. "You know, he's making you look like a fool."

"His heart's in the right place," Ozpin lightly reprimanded, taking a sip of coffee. Qrow let out a scoff, shaking his head. "I'm surprised that thick metal-headed idiot even has a heart. So…have you chosen your guardian yet?" He almost wished Winter was still around; nothing pissed her off more than hearing Qrow talk bad about her boss in front of her. _'Pity. She's funny when she gets mad. It's probably the best form of comedy in Remnant. One could make a stand-up out of it.'_

The headmaster spun his chair around, and he adjusted his small glasses. "Maidens choose themselves. I simply believe I've found the right candidate. Ever since the night I met her, I had a good feeling it would be her." Qrow raised an eyebrow, and he could feel his pulse quicken a bit. "You're not talking about—"

"I can assure you, it is not Miss Rose. There hasn't been a silver-eyed maiden in a long time, Ozpin reassured. Qrow sighed in relief, and he ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Thank Oum for that…" _'The last thing I want is for Ruby to get involved in something this dangerous. She's too much like Summer…'_

"You really care for her, don't you?"

"…I have no choice. But I still would, even if Summer were still alive."

"I'm starting you think you have a niece complex."

"Shut up, Oz…" Qrow grumbled at the slight teasing in the headmaster's tone. He was incredibly protective of his youngest niece, and he had saved her at various times of her life. But for the headmaster to try and poke at him possibly being involved in an intimate relationship with Ruby did invoke some irritation and confusion. _'You're. Her. Damn. Uncle. Even if you're not exactly blood, she's too young. No matter how much she reminds you of her, Ruby isn't Summer, and won't ever be.'_ "Don't start making jokes about that; it ain't funny."

"…don't tell me you actually…?"

"I'm not even going to answer that…"

Ozpin shrugged his shoulders, and took another sip of coffee. "I wouldn't blame you if you did. You certainly are closer than normal." Qrow sucked his teeth in irritation, his red eyes narrowing. "Just drop it…I'd rather not talk about it right now." His scroll vibrated, and he reached into his back pocket to see it was just alerting him that the second round of the Vytal Festival was starting up. _'So, Yang and Winter's sister are up against two of Ironwood's kids. I should start placing bets on Yang getting furious halfway through.'_

Ozpin slowly blinked, and he folded his hands, giving him a knowing look. "You know…I'm sure Ruby loves you more than you think, too; she's always at her happiest when either talking about or around you in my eyes. Have you thought of having a talk about this with her?" The black-haired huntsman tried to give him a glare, but he couldn't ignore that the headmaster had a bit of a point. He was closer with Ruby than he was with Yang, and for awhile he thought it was nothing more than a result of the times he saved her from mortal danger.

But watching her develop into someone eerily similar to her mother stirred up emotions that he had thought were long squandered. _'No. Listen, you drunken idiot; you are her uncle. And I seriously doubt Rubes feels this way about me; Oz has to be pulling my damn leg.'_ Qrow took another few chugs of his whiskey, stumbling slightly, and he slicked his hair back before drunkenly meeting Ozpin's gaze. "I honestly can't believe you. You, the headmaster of Beacon Academy and protector of the world and the maidens, are seriously telling me to consider having a talk with my youngest niece about having romantic feelings towards me. What the hell have you been drinking? Because I want some; I could use it to soothe the headache this crap is starting to cause." _'Sheesh…and I thought dealing with Winter's father after I slept with her was a handful. That was nothing compared to this.'_

"Qrow…" Ozpin sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just…have a damn talk with her, for Oum's sake. You've always been cynical and borderline self-deprecating ever since Raven's problems tore your team to pieces. And being there when Summer died doesn't help. But I've watched how you two behave around each other, and you aren't as bad-tempered."

Qrow felt a headache grow in his head, pulsing and throbbing, and he rested his head in his hands. "You know, this is causing probably the biggest headache in my life." _'He's got a point; whenever I'm around Ruby, I'm not being a drunken moron. I thought it was just a self-conscious thing to not be overly wasted around a young girl. Geez…talk about 'Uncle of the Year' awards being handed out.'_

The huntsman started to walk towards the elevator when it pinged, and out came a gust of incredibly frosty air. "Oh…hey Winter." _'Ah crap. I thought she had gone back to Atlas. So much for hoping her little sister wouldn't have told her the story in person.'_ The eldest of the Schnee daughters was breathing furiously, her blue eyes burning in anger. "You…you are so dead, you despicable dirty old man."

"What did I do?" Qrow asked innocently, trying hard not to smirk at Winter's fury. His exposed lower arms were beginning to get goosebumps from the now frigid temperature of the office, and he heard the headmaster of Beacon sigh in exasperation. He too had seen the way they fight like a married couple, and he tapped the floor with his cane. "Qrow…what did you do this time?"

"This…idiot told my little sister how he…how he slept with me!" Winter hissed angrily, pointing her sword at the drunken huntsman. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to cut someone's tongue out!" Qrow stumbled, and Winter's sword missed his head by inches. "Whoa, take it easy Ice Queen. I left out all the good juicy details. Like how you were pretty much begging for me after I went—"

"QROW!" Winter shrieked, her face red from both embarrassment and anger. A spinning glyph appeared in front of her, and the only that kept her from summoning an incredibly angry Beowolf was Ozpin letting out a cough. "Excuse me, Miss Schnee, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly refrain from attempting to cause serious bodily harm to Mr. Branwen in my office. These carpets are…rather expensive and quite difficult to get blood and other bodily fluids out of."

Winter growled in irritation, but she lowered her weapon nonetheless. Qrow laughed at her reaction, and he cast a sly glance at Ozpin. "How do you know that one, Oz? Had a little fun with Glynda one night and made a mess that took all day to clean?" _'Ah, I remember the days when me and Tai thought she was the hot smart girl in class and had a bit of a naughty side. Good times…good times.'_

Ozpin narrowed his eyes, and it looked for a moment that he was fighting the temptation to rap the huntsman on the head with his cane. "Okay, now I don't want to talk about it. Winter, what is it that you want? Apart from an opportunity to cut Qrow's tongue out and stick him inside an icebox."

"Already been in her icebox, Oz."

"QROW!"

"Oh please, you enjoy it Ice Queen…" Qrow muttered, smirking at the embarrassed woman. "Remember the time we got a noise complaint in Atlas? Schnee Family Gardens, if my memory is correct." _'Too much fun…way too much fun. It's a good thing Ruby doesn't see just how bad of a love/hate relationship Winter and I have with each other. It was the complete opposite with Summer.'_ For him, there almost nothing funnier than watching the Ice Queen get riled up and try to cause some serious damage to his person.

"That does it. The next time you—"

"Winter. Please, stop this bickering…" Ozpin sighed. "It's too early in the morning for this. Now what is it you want?" Winter wrenched her burning blue gaze away from the huntsman to face the headmaster, standing stiff with her back straight. "General Ironwood will be approximately thirty minutes late to your meeting. His interrogation of Roman Torchwick…isn't going exactly as he planned. The idiot keeps telling him that he was the one behind the Grimm attack on Vale."

"He could've picked a cuter errand girl," Qrow grumbled as his red eyes raked her frame, draining his flask in two seconds. "And one with a better attitude." _'Seriously…why are all the good-looking girls from Atlas completely stuck-up and have bad tempers? I know the place is cold and all, but come on.'_ He shook his flask in disapproval, annoyed that it was now empty and needing a good refill. _'I need some more whiskey. Dammit, I knew I should've brought my stash from home with me.'_

"Shut up, you dirty old man."

"Who are you calling old?"

"Thank you, Winter," Ozpin said gratefully, ignoring the little love-spat and pushing his glasses up. "I'll keep his coffee warm. You may go." Winter turned around, casting a glare at her former multi-night stand, and walked into the elevator. After it descended, Ozpin rested his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "You've already been in her icebox…damn. That's just 'cold'."

"Boo…" Qrow chuckled back, stumbling and throwing his empty flask at him. It soared haphazardly through the air, and the headmaster snagged it. He spun it around in his hand before placing it down on his desk. "I might have something for you to fill this with. That is, if you're done chucking things at me."

"Then stop saying crappy puns. It's bad enough that Yang says them on a daily basis," the red-eyed man returned. "And what's this mysterious substance that you're planning on filling my flask with? Whiskey? Jagermeister?" _'It would probably help if I drank something a little more expensive; the cheap garbage makes my head throb in the damn morning.'_

"Scotch. Your favorite." Ozpin reached into a drawer and pulled out a bottle filled with Qrow's favorite kind of alcohol. The drunken huntsman recognized the emblem on the cap, and his hazy eyes gleamed. "Heh heh…the special stuff from Mistral, huh? How did you get your hands on it? I thought they attempted to have that stuff run out of the kingdom about a year ago." _'Perfect. I need something to take my mind off of some of this. I don't want to think about having feelings for Ruby in that way.'_

"Leo kept a few bottles. He knows you pretty well."

"Tell him I said thanks."

"If you want to talk to Ruby before James comes up, you'll probably find her at the arena watching the fights," Ozpin said calmly, pouring the Scotch into the flask. Qrow took it, and as the aroma wafted up his nose, he had to fight the temptation to make a point of draining the entire thing in one go. "Not now. I need to get this figured out properly, okay?" _'It's better for her if I keep my distance. Otherwise…it'll be like with Summer all over again.'_

Ozpin didn't say a word, and he just slowly blinked as Qrow slowly walked towards the elevator to go down to the bar. The huntsman turned to face the headmaster, his red eyes sullen. "Oz…not a word about this conversation to anyone. Are we clear?" Ozpin nodded quietly, taking a sip of his coffee and spinning his chair around to look out the window at the small fleet patrolling the sky.

Qrow stepped inside, and as the doors slowly closed, he shook his head, his hand slamming against the cold metal. "Dammit…"

"Of all the friggin' people of Remnant…"

 _ **A/N: That's it for chapter 2. I hope I can do three soon…but meh. To be clear, this will follow most of the story for RWBY, but just with some expected changes. See you soon**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Chapter 3 of Bad Luck Rose is here, peeps. Normally, the two people I ship Qrow with are Winter (obviously) and Summer, mainly due to the fact that I seriously believe Ruby is the product of Summer and Qrow, due to several small details that speak volumes. PM for the reasons…I'm kinda lazy. This chapter does contain some good Bumblebee fun (ship that shit harder than the Titanic) and a fun appearance of everyone's favorite Rooster Teeth medic.**_

 _ **And yes, this will be age appropriate until Ruby is of age. Do I look like Rob Lowe to you? Off-topic, new username**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 3***

Ruby helped Weiss walk over to the medical station, the borderline grouchy girl possibly suffering some burns after sacrificing herself to try and take out Flynt. "Come on Weiss, you're okay." Weiss let out a cough, covered in ash from the mini volcanoes that were in the tournament floor, and she gave her partner an exasperated look through eyes laden with exhaustion. "Ruby…I sound horrible, and feel like crap. If I don't end up roasted like a duck at Thanksgiving, I'll be amazed."

The field medic was a nervous looking man with a strange purple device, and it had a neon green light on the tip. "Uh, hi…I'm Medical Officer DuFrane. But you can call me Doc. I'll check and see if you're okay." He aimed his device at Weiss, and the white-haired girl backed up as it began to glow. "Wait, what in the name of Remnant is that thing!? That's not going to do anything weird to me, is it? Like give me radiation poisoning?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Doc laughed lightheartedly. "This thing is as harmless as a fly. All it can do is light up green. It takes quite a few years of training to tell the difference between the shades of green." He pointed it at himself, and it began to glow vibrantly. "Like this one shows sterilization. Wait…that causes sterilization. Ah well. It's not like I was planning on using it anyway, so no harm done. But yeah, it takes a lot of training to tell the difference. That's why doctors have to go to school for so long. Not that I'm actually a doctor."

"And that couldn't be more clear after witnessing what you did five seconds ago," Weiss grumbled. "Do they just let anyone take exams these days? Where are you even from, the moon?" Ruby bit back a laugh, covering her mouth at the white-haired girl's sarcasm and grumpiness. _'Oh my…is this a check-up or a roast?'_ She (and the rest of her team) had been on the receiving end of her partner's cynical sense of humor countless times over the last year, but she was impressed at how the medic took it.

"Actually, I'm from Vacuo," Doc replied. "I did take the MKAT, though."

"Wait, you passed the most rigorous exam known in Remnant?"

"Haha…not even close. I only passed the section where they asked if it was physically possible for a male, human or Faunus, to give birth to a creature that was only capable of saying 'Honk' or 'Blarg'," Doc laughed. "The obvious answer would be 'no', but I've seen some weird things in life. Particularly in certain families where they like to…well, sleep with each—"

"I think it would be a good idea to not continue that sentence," a dry, familiar, and slightly intoxicated voice grumbled from behind Ruby and Weiss. They jumped in surprise, and Ruby let out a cheer as she saw her favorite drunken uncle, while Weiss rolled her eyes. "Uncle Qrow! What are you doing here?" _'Is it me…or is he less intoxicated when he's around me?'_

Qrow looked at the medic, and he snorted as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm looking for my favorite flask, which has since gone missing. I have a sneaking suspicion that someone stole it, particularly someone blonde, bad at jokes, and has a temper tantrum for a semblance. Does that ring any bells?" Ruby laughed, knowing full well who he meant. "Hmm…I did see her and Blake running towards the airships to go back to the school after the last round. Maybe they have it?" _'Sis…did you really take his favorite flask? That's the one I had Dad buy him as a birthday gift this year!'_

Qrow rubbed his head with a grumble, his red eyes unamused. "I swear, that girl is starting to become an alcoholic. Ruby, she hasn't pressured you into following in those footsteps of hers, has she?" The innocent member of Team RWBY shook her head, trying to repress a blush from surfacing on her cheeks as her uncle talked to her. "Mmm…no…" _'I couldn't possibly be a party girl like her.'_

"It wouldn't be the first thing she picked up from you, you dusty old birdman," Weiss grumbled, wiping a bit of ash from her cheek and looking at her ruined clothes in disgust. "Ugh! I'm going to have to send this back to Atlas to get these stains out!" It was no secret that Weiss was almost obsessed with high-end fashion, and that her current outfit was by far her favorite combat skirt. And as a result, high fashion came along with a certain disgust for any kind of stains that could possibly end up on the expensive clothing. _'She's got an addiction to that skirt.'_

"Who are you calling old?"

"You. You are a dirty old man who ought to be ashamed of himself for being intoxicated around teenagers," Ruby's partner returned dryly. "I imagine you're the one who tells Yang all kinds of crappy glory stories from his far away youth." Ruby held a hand over her hand to prevent from laughing too hard, and Qrow ignored the comment as they walked towards an airship to get back to Beacon. _'I wonder what she means about glory stories. Though I suppose Yang will tell me them eventually.'_

As she walked with her favorite uncle, the innocent member of Team RWBY had to repress the overwhelming urge to leap onto his back and make him give her a piggyback ride. Normally, he was almost always prepared for the inevitable attempt at an ambush, but this time, he had an almost distant look in his red eyes, as if he was deep in thought about something. His hands were in his pockets, and he was slouching as they boarded the airship. _'I wonder what's wrong with him.'_

' _It almost seems as though something's eating him from the inside.'_

-0-

Yang giggled as she passed the flask over to Blake, the cat Faunus looking at her drunken girlfriend in amusement. "You're pretty funny when drunk. And this stuff is pretty good. That dusty old crow you call an uncle has some good taste." Blake took a sip that turned into a gulp, and she passed it back. _'It's really good. It doesn't taste like rubbing alcohol.'_

The two had broken into the room Qrow was using for his stay in Beacon and stole his flask and a good majority of his liquor stash after the match with Neon and Flynt. And after maybe only three good chugs of the huntsman's whiskey, Yang was completely plastered and beginning to meow and purr like a cat who just consumed a bag of catnip. _'As much as I love you, you really have no tolerance. What kind of party girl are you?'_

Blake meanwhile was still able to function, despite feeling a powerful buzz beginning to grow. The only two people she could think of who get utterly wasted quicker than the blonde were Jaune and Ruby, mainly because they were both kind of dolts and would end up drunker than Qrow in under five minutes. _'Strong, but not as bad that sake my mother used to keep back in Menagerie. I remember when I attempted to drink with them on my fifteenth birthday and blacked out in less than ten minutes; I don't know how I made it to bed on my own.'_

"Meow meow~!" Yang drunkenly giggled, getting on all fours and crawling like a cat, pretending as though she was stalking a mouse. Blake rolled her eyes, and though she wanted to give her girlfriend a hard cuff on the head, the sight was pretty damn funny; the cat Faunus was incredibly tempted to pull out her scroll and record the events for later laughs and possible blackmail material. _'You know what…screw it. I'm recording this.'_

Blake reached her hand into her shorts to get her scroll when Yang suddenly tackled her playfully, taking her by surprise. "Waah! Yang!" She wound up on her back, and the blonde's hazy lilac eyes met her amber, filled with love. "Have I ever told you just how beautiful you are to me?"

Blake blushed, her hands sliding up Yang's toned long legs. "You have…though not when drunk." The thought of having a drunken make-out session with her girlfriend/partner wasn't something that crossed her mind, particularly as she didn't want to recall one of the many repressed memories of Adam taking advantage of her. But knowing that Yang wasn't him, and would never be him, the emo cat Faunus locked her arms around Yang's neck, pulling her in for a slow kiss. "I love you…so much." _'Whelp…there goes trying to record her meowing.'_

"I love you too, Blakey~," the blonde slurred, kissing back and trying to shake her way out of her shorts. With a good amount of wriggling, Yang managed to discard them, and she tossed them over her shoulder haphazardly. The black clothing landed on her girlfriend's bed, and to no surprise to Blake, she was wearing bright yellow panties with a vibrantly burning sun embroidered on them. "You…are unbelievable…" _'Even her underwear has that pattern. So terrible.'_

"I burn only for you~," Yang purred drunkenly, her lips feverishly sucking on Blake's neck. The cat Faunus let out a soft moan of pleasure as her girlfriend sucked on the tender skin, and her body warmed up as she felt Yang's teeth gently graze against it. "A-ahhh…Yang…" She knew she would end up with hickeys on her neck the next day and would probably receive jabs from Weiss, but she didn't care. Right now, she was willing to take those jabs to be romantic with her fiery blonde girlfriend before the rest of her team showed up and ruined the moment.

Yang's lips left her neck, and she started to rub against Blake with a needy purr. "I want you…so much…" Blake blushed, and she went to give her a loving kiss when her cat ears caught the sound of their teammates' voices, along with Qrow's. _'Uh oh. It figures that when we're right about to have fun, they would come along. Dammit.'_

She opened her mouth to warn her blonde girlfriend about the incoming trouble when Yang kissed her passionately, her tongue sliding into the cat Faunus's open mouth. The sudden entry caught her completely off-guard, and she let out a muffled moan of surprise as the door to their dorm burst open, and in the doorway stood Weiss, Ruby, and the drunken birdman Yang and Ruby called an uncle. _'Ah…crap. This is beyond awkward.'_

Qrow let out a sigh, though the look in his slightly intoxicated eyes suggested that inside he was laughing like a lunatic. "So, this is what I find when I go looking for my flask. My niece is half-naked and drunkenly trying to make out with her emo cat girlfriend. Just what I needed." Weiss was shaking her head in disapproval, covering Ruby's eyes with her hands, and her unamused stare met Blake's. "Real mature…you two are unbelievable."

The cat Faunus blushed, trying to push Yang off of her to no avail, and mouthed out to the grouchy heiress. 'Help me!' _'Dammit. I knew this would happen. I just knew it.'_ Qrow scoffed as he stumbled into the room, plucking his flask from the floor and shaking his head when he found out it was empty thanks to the two girls. "Yang, you and I are going to have a little talk when you sober up. But for now, I have only four words: stop stealing my whiskey."

"Mreow mreow?" Yang looked up drunkenly, and Blake took the opportunity to push the blonde off of her. "You know, that other cat was right; you are top heavy." Blake was probably the only one who was able to get away with making comments about Yang's large bust, and her intoxicated girlfriend let out a meow of protest as she fell on her back. "My bigs aren't boob."

Ruby managed to peel Weiss's hands off of her eyes, and she looked at her uncle with a hint of red on her cheeks. "Um, Uncle Qrow…? I, um…"She seemed to lose her tongue for a second, and Qrow gave her shoulder a borderline fatherly squeeze. "Don't worry kiddo. Your sister will be fine soon."

"No, it's not that!" Ruby's face was red with embarrassment, and Blake's ears twitched under her bow; she had kept her mouth shut about how Ruby felt towards her drunken bird of an uncle from the rest of her team, and had a strange feeling in the knot of her stomach. _'Ruby, time and place. Now isn't the best time, and right in front of your team really isn't the place. Please, don't do anything really dumb…'_

Qrow's brow tweaked in curiosity, and he tilted his head in confusion when the voice of their headmaster reached them. "Qrow, if you mind, General Ironwood and Glynda are coming soon for our meeting; we don't need you being late." The black-haired huntsman let out a sigh, and he gently messed up Ruby's hair before walking out of their dorm, giving Blake an amused wink that basically said, 'Welcome to the family.' "Yeah, yeah…I'll be right there. Catch you kids later."

Qrow left to go with Ozpin, and Ruby started to look disappointed when Weiss let out a frustrated noise, stalking over towards the cat Faunus. "Okay, you two have some explaining to do!"

"…um, Weiss?"

"What?"

"Take a shower; you look utterly ridiculous covered in ash," Blake muttered. She caught Ruby's silver gaze, and she gave a slight shake of the head. _'Don't worry…there'll be another time to talk to him. I seriously doubt he's going to be in a hurry to leave this place, with both of his nieces here.'_

' _He has the same look in his eyes, too. I wonder if he feels the same.'_

 _ **A/N: Sorry, but that's it for this one. Sorry it took so long to come out…real life is a serious bitch at times, you know?**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Chapter 4 of Bad Luck Rose…*sigh* I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if I would actually get around to this. I happen to be caught in the middle of some fucked up shit family-wise, and it's taking a serious toll on me physically and mentally.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 4***

Qrow leaned against one of the many pillars in Ozpin's office, keeping an eye on the young redheaded woman talking to the headmaster. She was a member of the sister team to Team RWBY, JNPR, and the lucky member to be sent to the one-on-one finals of the Vytal Festival. _'Don't know why, but I really don't like this crap. Something feels off.'_ The huntsman would've loved to be able to sit there, chug his whiskey, and get drunk without worry. But, Ozpin pretty much forbade him from getting drunk in front of an underage girl, saying that it would set a bad example. _'Thanks Oz. Forbidding me from enjoying a good drink. Just as bad as Taiyang.'_

He wanted to grab it anyway, mainly to prove a point that no one could come between him and his favorite liquor, but then Summer's face flashed in front of his eyes. Her silver gaze held a thinly veiled statement of, "Come on, you know better." Qrow sighed, and he took a glance over at the coffee machine by Ozpin's desk, which seemingly had an infinite amount of coffee in it at all times. The aroma of Vacuo Roast wafted towards his nostrils, and it was as if it were begging for someone to make a cup and drink it. _'…screw it. I might as well make a cup. Besides, Oz would blast me from the top of the tower if I tried to get drunk anyway.'_

He walked over to the coffee machine, grabbing a spare cup with the Vale Kingdom symbol on it. Qrow started to make his coffee the way Summer used to when they were still in school, with milk and four sugars, and he let a small smile grace his face as he remembered the countless nights of the four members of Team STRQ staying up late and telling stories as some sort of weird team bonding. Taiyang had come up with the idea at first, and it definitely helped Qrow be more open with the rest of his team. _'Heh heh…thanks, Tai.'_

He took a sip, and was relieved to find that it did help drive away the weariness he seemingly always had following him like a plague. Qrow started paying attention towards the conversation between the young redheaded girl and Ozpin, who noticed that the huntsman was actually listening. The headmaster folded his hands on his desk, glancing at Qrow as he leaned casually against the pillar of his office with a cup of coffee. "Well, Pyrrha Nikos, I'm sure that it's no surprise that you're going to the one-on-one finals of the Vytal Festival Tournament."

"Thank you, Professor," the redhead replied, bowing her head modestly. "But, I wouldn't have gotten this far without my teammates." Qrow scoffed before he took a swig of the hot liquid, shaking his head. "Personally, I think it's the other way around." He had paid quite a bit of attention towards the fights of the Festival, particularly those of the later rounds, and he could see that Pyrrha was easily the best member of Team JNPR and practically carried the team, even though her blonde partner was one hell of a strategist. _'That kid Jaune's not the best fighter, but it's easy to see why he's the leader of that team. He came up with some good strategies to win the double round.'_

Pyrrha looked behind her and stood up, surprise and curiosity in her green eyes. She hadn't noticed the huntsman's presence earlier, and she probably didn't know that he was the uncle of Ruby and Yang; the girls had a habit of not boasting about him being a huntsman. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced."

Qrow propped a foot up against the pillar he was leaning on, taking another sip of coffee. "The name's Qrow." _'I bet anything she thinks that my name is spelt exactly the same as the bird. Sheesh…I know I bring bad luck like a harbinger, but come on. What the hell were those idiots thinking of when they gave me my name?'_ He didn't like thinking about how he was raised by a bandit tribe in Anima, mainly because he saw them as nothing more than butchers and thieves and it made him think of his pain of a sister. _'I can't believe you went back to them, Raven. You tried to improve our image when we went to Beacon by insisting we leave it behind, and yet you dump Yang on Tai at the end of our fourth year to pillage and burn villages in Anima. Unbelievable.'_

"Qrow is a…trusted associate of mine," Ozpin reassured, giving the huntsman a stare through narrowed eyes as he observed him actually drinking something other than alcohol for once. Pyrrha turned back to the headmaster, her green gaze both curious and concerned. "Professor…why have you called me here?"

"Please, take a seat," Ozpin invited warmly. The young redhead sat down, and once she was in her seat, the headmaster folded his hands on his desk. "What's your favorite fairy tale?"

"Sir?"

"Fairy tales. Stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them?"

"Oh, of course," Pyrrha murmured. "There's the tale of the two brothers, The Shallow Sea, and The Girl in the Tower." Knowing that the headmaster was going to mention the old legend about the Maidens, Qrow stopped paying as much attention to their conversation and started thinking more about his youngest niece. _'It's not right. Sheesh…as if I didn't have enough friggin' issues to deal with mentally. No, it's only natural that I'd want to keep Ruby safe after saving her Oum knows how many times. Surely that's it…it's only me being overprotective. Get those stupid and rather weird thoughts out of your head, you idiot.'_

' _We're not actually related.'_

' _She's Summer's daughter!'_

' _I was her partner.'_

' _That makes it worse.'_

' _What if she feels that way towards me?'_

' _Taiyang would try and have you buried alive.'_

' _And if I don't care?'_

' _He's your closest friend left alive!'_

The huntsman would've loved to have just waltzed out of Ozpin's office, descend the elevator, and go on to his favorite bar to try and banish any kind of thoughts about Ruby. But the headmaster needed him here, as much as Ozpin probably wanted him to drown his thoughts in liquor. _'I wonder if the Crow Bar is still open. Or if the Ice Queen is still in town. It's been awhile since I messed with her.'_

He had to repress a snicker, mainly to avoid breathing hot coffee up his nose. He thoroughly enjoyed purposely making the eldest Schnee daughter infuriated, and she would always try and aim multiple attacks at him while he stuck his tongue out to rub it in. Usually, their little love spats ended in the same fashion; him sleeping with her relentlessly until they were both hot, sweaty, and exhausted before repeating the process sometime later, whether it was by a day or a few hours. _'Never gets old. Wish the same could be said about me. I ain't getting any younger. Good thing Winter and I have quite the drive.'_

He was thirty-nine now, but the fact that he was so close to reaching the big four-zero was something he was a little sensitive about. It didn't help that Taiyang liked to rub in the fact that he was still fatherless, despite the many one-night stands he and Winter had over the years. Usually, Qrow would laugh along with him, as he had to admit, even he was surprised Winter hasn't been completely knocked up yet. But now, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to laugh at it. _'Sheesh…if one had told me I'd be fatherless at forty when I was still in school, I would've laughed. But now this is getting ridiculous.'_

"Would you believe me if I told you that story has been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin's voice jerked Qrow's thoughts back to the conversation, and he slowly blinked as Pyrrha laughed lightheartedly. "You're not that old, Professor Ozpin."

"Well, would you believe me if I told you it was true?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Ozpin took a sip of coffee, adjusting his small glasses, and folded his hands. "What if I told you that there were four maidens in this world, capable of wielding incredible powers without Dust?" Pyrrha's green eyes flashed in confusion, and her words revealed it. "You mean…like their semblance?"

"Like magic," the headmaster corrected. The young redhead was silent, possibly from shock, and Qrow took it as his turn to speak. "Yep. First time hearing it is pretty crazy." It was almost two decades since he was first told of the story of the Four Maidens, when he first became a member of Ozpin's inner circle after Raven destroyed everything Team STRQ stood for. _'No one remembers that they're real, after this brotherhood removed them from the public eye a couple hundred years ago.'_

"You're serious?" Pyrrha finally asked. The headmaster leaned in closer, his eyes laden with sincerity. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"…no. But, why are you telling me all of this?"

Ozpin shared a glance at Qrow, and the huntsman nodded, giving him the 'all-clear' signal. Even if it was protecting the world, the idea that they were possibly forcing a teenage girl, still in her first year of training no less, into becoming the Fall Maiden to guard Beacon still produced a twinge of guilt and resentment. _'Sometimes, I really hate this part of my job. Dealing with obnoxious students while hungover is a cakewalk compared to this crap.'_

"We're telling you, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers," Ozpin answered after a long breath that seemed to last an eternity. It couldn't have lasted longer than a few seconds, but for Qrow, he could've sworn he felt the stubble along his jaw growing gray. _'Sheesh…could this take any longer?'_

"We?" As soon as the question left the young redhead's mouth, the door to the elevator pinged open, and General Ironwood and Glynda Goodwitch stepped out, the blonde disciplinarian adjusting her glasses silently while the General apologized. "Sorry we're late."

Upon seeing the two additions to the meeting, Pyrrha started to show signs of worry and fear. "Wait, what is this!? Who are you?" Qrow opened his mouth to explain, but Glynda beat him to it, giving him a sharp glare when she saw the flask in his back pocket. "You know who we are. We're the same teachers and headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon, except we have a little…part time job, as well." The blonde clearly disapproved of the huntsman even carrying the damn thing on his person in the company of an underage girl, and it was no surprise to her where Yang got her love for liquor from. _'All I did was point her in the direction of that idiot Junior. I never told her to get a drink while she was at it. It's bad enough Taiyang was mad at me for that.'_

"We're the protectors of Remnant, and we need your help," Ironwood finished, picking up where Glynda left off. Pyrrha's facial expression still had worry plastered over it, but the reassuring yet serious tone of the disciplinarian seemed to soothe her as she walked over to her and the General with Ozpin. She was silent as she stepped into the elevator, and Ozpin noticed that Qrow was hanging back. "Qrow, are you not coming?"

"I'll be down in a minute. Just need a moment," the huntsman replied with a grumble. The headmaster had kept his word on keeping his mouth shut about Qrow's possible feelings towards his youngest niece, and neither brought the topic up during the incredibly dull meetings that usually ended with Qrow calling Ironwood a metal-headed idiot and snickering at the many innuendos his last name provided. _'Is it actually intimate? Or is it just me being an over-protective self-proclaimed Uncle of the Year? I don't like it, either way. Dammit Ruby. Why you, of all the people in Remnant?'_

The Crow Bar was certainly going to need to replenish its stock of whiskey before the day was done. He just had to make sure he didn't have his scroll on him, in case he decided to drunk-dial Winter at four in the morning.

 _ **A/N: I know some of you are going to be on my ass about updates, but please, try and be considerate; I'm caught in the middle of my parents' divorce, and it's fucking with me in ways I didn't think possible. I hope to get chapter 5 out soon, and please check out my other works on the site.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Chapter 5. I want to say thank you for those of you who take the time to show your support for this story despite the fucked up struggles I'm going through personally. It means a lot.**_

 _ **Shout-out to Vena Sara for making an amazing Ruby/Qrow/Ozpin story, called 'Emerald Rose'. Absolutely great story for an unorthodox ship, keep up the fantastic work :)**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 5***

Ruby was lying on her bed in her pajamas, drawing out a future possible upgrade for her beloved Crescent Rose in the binder she stole from her partner when the second semester started. As a massive dork for weaponry, every little detail was inspected with the utmost scrutiny, ranging from a new, slightly bigger scope to new grips that would make it easier to handle in a fight. It was rather late at night, and the silver-eyed girl was beginning to feel frustrated when she realized yet _another_ day had passed without her being able to confess her feelings to her honorary uncle. _'It's not hormones. It's not a dumb schoolgirl crush. So why is it so hard to tell someone three words?'_

Her pen accidentally traced over a part she didn't want to touch, and annoyed, she tore the paper out of Weiss's stolen binder, crumpled it up, and tried to throw it in the garbage can without having to physically get up from her comfortable position. It bounced off the rim, and she buried her face in her pillow to groan. "I don't wanna get up…"

Zwei let out a happy bark, and the young leader looked to see her favorite dog in the world was awake, tongue out and all. She reached down and petted him between the ears, his big eyes closing happily, and she let out a sad sigh. "I wish I could be in your world for about ten minutes. Dogs have the easy life. Don't have to worry about anything except food, water, and your next bathroom break." _'You don't have to feel strange about having romantic feelings towards someone who's basically your dad.'_

Zwei tilted his head and jumped up into her bed, running in a circle for a few seconds before curling up in a ball on her pillow. He quickly began to snore, and Ruby tapped her pen on her shoulder, pursing her lips together before shutting the binder. _'I wonder why he gave up teaching. And it's strange how he always seems his happiest when he's around me. He doesn't seem to get bad tempered.'_

Ruby looked up at the bottom of Weiss's bunk, feeling tingles as she recalled the first time she had ever crushed on Qrow. It was on her fourteenth birthday, and he had come back from a mission just in time to proudly watch his honorary niece playing around with her beloved Crescent Rose. She was about as graceful as a dancer missing a leg, and he took a solid hour break from drinking to begin teaching her. Ruby stood in awe as her uncle showed off his own weapon, and watched in admiration as he showed her the basics of wielding a heavy and borderline impractical weapon. _'I thought he looked so amazing, using it in both its sword and scythe form. Maybe it was just admiring his skill at first.'_

She had to admit, she wished they practiced a bit more of unarmed combat. If Ruby managed to be disarmed, she was very easy to handle due to her lack of skill in hand-to-hand combat. Yang had tried to teach her back home on Patch before she left for Beacon, but all that did was create self-doubt within the young girl after her sister lost her Aura and nearly died saving her from a Beowolf. Qrow was a master of using a scythe and sword, but he never had the time to help Ruby out with unarmed fighting due to being called out on random missions around the world. _'I wonder how he is without that amazing weapon in his hand.'_ An amusing image of her honorary uncle repeatedly punching a rather creepy-looking guy with a weird braid in the face crossed her mind, and she had to repress a giggle as the scene played out, with Qrow smirking and laying punch after punch while the unknown guy just kept screaming in pain and frustration.

Ruby pushed the binder in its hidden space under her bed, closing her eyes with a satisfied smile on her lips as she fell asleep, the image of her crush being utterly amazing and handsome burned into her mind. She was going to have quite pleasant dreams tonight.

-0-

Qrow took a seat at the Crow Bar, his pale red gaze heavy as he placed a few lien on the counter to try and get the bartender's attention. It hadn't been an easy day for the huntsman, dealing with the way he felt for Ruby and trying to concentrate on protecting Remnant at the same time. How the hell Taiyang ever dealt with succeeding as a huntsman while also juggling two girls, he'd never understand. _'How did Tai deal with two girls at once during school? Just thinking about it gives me a headache.'_

The bartender recognized Qrow as the cynical huntsman who was unimpressed with the four on four rounds of the Vytal Festival, and he wiped the inside of a glass before marching over. "What can I get for you, sir? The same as you had last time? Or something new?"

"Same as before. Just make the first one a double," Qrow grumbled, already feeling annoyed as the bar began to fill in with more and more people. The place was a known hotspot for huntsmen and huntresses alike to gather for the latest information or to just talk about how their last mission went. _'I came because I didn't want anyone around. So much for that working out.'_ He could feel his semblance beginning to cause mayhem, and it wasn't long before a chair leg broke and sent its occupant tumbling to the floor unceremoniously. _'Great. Not even here five minutes, and already something happens.'_

The man who fell merely laughed off the incident with his friends, a large stain of red wine on his white shirt as a result. He didn't think anything of it, and Qrow sighed as the bartender slid his drink down to him, full of amber liquid. "Thanks." He took a sip, the ice clattering against the glass, and the wonderful taste of alcohol burned its way down his throat. _'I never thought I would get used to this.'_

If he was honest with himself, he was only drinking to try and take his mind off of the situation regarding his feelings for Ruby. It was so wrong, in more ways than he preferred to count. It was the ultimate 'screw you' his semblance could possibly do to him: make his one true love be born a generation too late and be the daughter of his late partner and best friend. _'How fitting. I swear, fate really does hate me.'_

He tilted his head back to rapidly finish the first drink, and he wiped his lips with his hand. It was definitely going to be a long night for him, and he was already preparing himself for the scolding he was going to get tomorrow from both Ozpin and Glynda. Both hated seeing the huntsman being a raging drunk, particularly Ozpin. Usually because it meant that Qrow would either show up to an important meeting late due to a hangover or be even more short-tempered with Ironwood than usual. In both instances, it meant more work for the headmaster, which was something he did not want to deal with. _'Sorry Oz. But I really need to not think about weird it is to feel this way about my own damn niece.'_

The glass didn't even hit the counter before it was getting filled up by the barman, his mustache quivering. "I think I know what you like. You had about five of these the last time you were in here. Did any of the two-on-two rounds stand out to you?"

"Yeah," Qrow replied quietly, knocking back the second drink. "My niece has a temper tantrum and the little sister of my 'friend with benefits' has more guts than I gave her credit for. Didn't think she'd risk losing her aura completely to protect a teammate. Even though that kid Flynt was still standing, it was a good try." _'Doesn't change how I feel about their father, but little Weiss definitely has some guts. If only she lost a bit of the attitude all Atlesian girls seem to have.'_

"Well, that's a surprise, coming from you," a silky and familiar voice murmured behind him. "I thought you saw us Schnees as all money and no skill." Qrow could feel the cool breath on his neck, and he repressed the usual snarky comment that would usually leave his mouth upon meeting Winter. The feeling of her breath on his neck produced shivers of excitement, and he spun on the stool to face the woman who ended up in his bed more times than believable. Her hair was still in a bun, but she had ditched the Atlesian Specialist look in favor of a long, silky white dress.

"Well, fancy seeing you here, Ice Queen. Didn't know you knew how to dress in anything other than that crappy uniform."

"You mean the uniform that prevents a certain dirty old drunken birdman from looking up it due to a lack of a skirt and nearly getting me pregnant more than once?"

The black-haired huntsman rolled his eyes, continuing his drinking and turning his scroll to vibrate; if anyone wanted to get in contact with him, they were going to have to wait until sometime tomorrow. "You could've stopped at any time. If you expressed your desire to call it quits, I would've respected it." _'Funny how opposites attract. I dislike everything about the Atlesian military, and yet I've slept with one of their best specialists more than once.'_

Winter sat next to him, ordering a mixed drink of Vacuo Rum and Vale Cola, and she drummed her fingernails on the counter. "What is this nonsense? You're not being a rude moron. Don't tell me you're sick." Her piercing blue eyes seemed to bore holes into the huntsman, and it took a good amount of self restraint to not lash out with one of his usual sarcastic remarks.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine," he finally grumbled, taking a sip of his second drink. There was no way she could understand how he felt without calling him the most disgusting person in all of Remnant and reporting him to General Ironwood. No, it was much better to keep it hidden. It was bad enough that Ozpin already knew; if word started to get out because he confided in another, he'd probably spend the rest of his days in some crappy prison in the middle of the ice fields to the north of Atlas. _'Better off this way. The less people who know, the better.'_

Winter eyed him carefully; it was obvious that she didn't believe his claim. One tends to learn quite a bit about someone after they sleep with them multiple times. "I don't buy that nonsense for a second, Branwen. Now tell me what's going on."

"Not going to happen."

"What do I have to do in order for you to be convinced?" Her lips started to curve into that classic mischievous smirk, a look Qrow was all too familiar with. Usually, that smirk meant she was going to beat him into a pulp or she was feeling incredibly aroused and wanted him in her bed as soon as possible. The fact that she was drinking (and a horrible lightweight to boot) meant the latter.

Any other day, he probably would've leapt at the opportunity to once again sleep with one of the Atlesian military's finest soldiers. But for some reason, even as Winter's pale hands tried to undo the buttons of his dress shirt, he wasn't feeling it. _'Wait, seriously? I, the obnoxious alcoholic who is also the only functioning adult of Team STRQ left, don't want to sleep with the Schnee who's practically offering herself up on a silver plate? What in the name of Oum is wrong with me?'_

He was starting to believe he might seriously have a cold. Pun intended.

"Why don't we go back to my place and have a little more fun?" Winter suggested coyly, smirking as she tried to seduce him. It usually only took a few minutes of feeling his smooth chest and planting a few kisses on certain parts of his anatomy (his jaw and lower neck in particular) before the black-haired huntsman was putty in her hands. A tiny amount of ice forming on her hands, and he was usually as randy as an eager dog due to his serious lack of action otherwise.

" _Sex is great stress relief, Qrow. That's why I'm hooking you up with this girl."_ Qrow hid his face in embarrassment as the memory resurfaced, his face hot. Taiyang felt bad that Qrow was left out of the poly-amorous relationship that involved the other three members of Team STRQ, and hooked him up with some random fourth year to help relieve some stress. _'Sheesh. Why did I ever agree to that crap?'_

He finished his third drink, throwing some more lien for the bartender. "Fine. Let's get this over with." Winter took his hand after finishing her own drink, and the two left the bar to step out into the cool Vale night.

The wind was ruffling Qrow's messy hair, and he let out a disgruntled noise as Winter led him through the city towards the tallest (and probably most expensive) hotel in all of Vale. "I see you spared no expense, as usual." _'The person at the desk is going to look at us and already know where tonight's going. Two drunk people going to the penthouse? It might as well be written in neon pink letters, for Oum's sake.'_

It was certainly an interesting night, to say the least.

 _ **A/N: Sorry guys, but I have to end it here. I would have loved to include the smut (I ship QrowxWinter as hard as Bumblebee XD), but I kinda can't (blame 's rules on MA content…). Though once I get my AO3 account set up, look for this story there. I'll be posting a much more mature version ;)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Hey everyone, DPLxBeAsTxSnIpE here with chapter number six of Bad Luck Rose. Can't believe I hit the 86 follows mark already, and this is only 5 chapters long. You know what it means? It means this is the second-most followed story I have.**_

 _ **Happy Holidays to all!**_

 _ **P.S. sorry for the horrible Skyrim joke in this chapter (see if you spot it…)**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 6***

Qrow blinked his eyes open, rubbing them wearily. The thin silky white sheet barely covered his naked form, and he looked to his right to see Winter lying next to him, also in the nude. The specialist was still sleeping, her blue eyes closed and her gentle breaths stirring loose strands of her white hair. _'I'm the first one awake? Wow. Talk about a real shocker. Usually it's the other way around.'_

His one night stand had gone pretty much the same way as the other times he slept with Winter. They definitely weren't winning any points for creativity; a little teasing kiss on the collarbone, a nip on the neck. Their idea of spicing it up was doing basically the same crap, just in a different spot. Like on a washing machine, or in the shower. Heck, even the kitchen counter wasn't safe. Qrow made a mental note to wipe it down with disinfectant later before he left.

Qrow swung his legs out of bed, being careful to not disturb Winter, and strode to the shower to get himself cleaned up. His head still ached from drinking the previous night, and he turned the hot water on before stepping in. The heat was good for aches and pains, even ones induced by alcohol, and he closed his eyes as he let out a sigh of content as the water soaked him. _'Much better.'_

He slicked his dark hair back, and started to clean the slight stickiness of the previous night from his legs when he heard someone creep in. _'I thought I was being quiet.'_ He pretended to not hear, and he feigned surprise when Winter stepped into the shower and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, I thought you were still asleep."

"I was. But when you fall asleep with a certain something prodding your posterior, you tend to notice when it goes missing," Winter whispered huskily. Her soft breasts pressed against the huntsman's back, her arms clutching his chest, and the white-haired woman's lips kissed all over his jaw. "You need to shave soon, my dusty bird."

"Nah. The more unkempt, the more your boss whose last name should be considered false advertising gets annoyed," Qrow smirked as he turned around, feeling Winter's large chest rub against his own. "Seriously, tell me you haven't snickered about Jimmy's last name being Ironwood?" _'It's just too easy to make fun of.'_

Winter's pale face flushed, and her blue gaze flickered down before her stuttered reply came out. "W-well…not to his face or aloud. Wait, I should be yelling at you for insulting my damn boss, not agreeing with you!"

As she tried to regain her composure to tell him off, Qrow chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "That's just me rubbing off on you." _'Whelp. That sentence could be taken a few ways. Having a dirty mind does not help me in situations like this.'_

"Well you did. In more ways than one," Winter grumbled, folding her arms. She had a facial expression that was a mixture of both embarrassment and enjoyment, and her blue eyes were staring at him. "You know, you never did tell me what was bothering you yesterday. Are you going to now?"

Qrow hesitated, his wet bangs now sticking to his head. _'I'm not bringing up Ruby. Just thinking about it makes me feel like some sort of perverted old man. I just have to tell her a half-truth. It's not lying, but she definitely doesn't need to know everything.'_ "I'm…having a hard time dealing with how I feel towards someone."

He wanted to laugh at how lame those words were once they left his mouth. _'Really? You, the one Ozpin sends to get information in the worst places on Remnant, just said something that makes you sound like an emo schoolboy? What in the name of Oum is wrong with you?'_ "Okay, I know how lame that sounds. Go ahead and laugh."

Usually, Winter enjoyed seeing him squirm and she would try to poke a little fun at him. But, she didn't. Her icy gaze was softer than normal, and she put her hands on his toned shoulder. "Qrow. I know that I don't do these emotional things, and we have had our…differences despite the amount of times we've done this." She gestured to the two of them standing naked in the shower together. "But I can tell you this: you cannot allow this to bottle up, or let the object of your desire escape to be with someone else."

"To think, the Ice Queen is giving me life advice," the dusty bird of a huntsman muttered. He heard his scroll go off in the bedroom, and he let out a groan of frustration; he wasn't getting an early morning quickie now, thanks to whoever happened to be calling him. _'Ugh. Talk about having a bad sense of timing. It's probably Oz wanting to yell at me for not being at some meeting he had with Jimmy.'_ "I'm going to see who it is. Enjoy the water, Icy."

He wrapped a towel around his waist after he hobbled out, slicking his messy hair back and wiping his hands. His scroll was partially under the pillow he used, and he pulled it out to see Ozpin's name flash across it, sighing. _'I knew it. I just friggin' knew it. He's annoyed at me for not showing up to some meeting or something.'_

He picked it up, answering the call with a pinch of his brow and preparing himself for the inevitable lecture of how he can't keep sleeping with Ironwood's best specialist just to annoy the General or drive him to the point of insanity. "Hello Oz." Qrow instinctively reached for his mostly empty flask, taking an afternoon swig of whiskey to get him going. _'I'll need to get a refill soon.'_

" _Qrow, your niece is being detained by James,"_ Ozpin started off quietly. Qrow spit out his whiskey, coughing as the words started to process in his head. _'Wait a damn minute, what!? What on Remnant could Ruby have possibly done!?'_

" _I mean the yellow one."_

"For Oum's sake Oz, I don't need a heart attack," Qrow grumbled, wiping his face in annoyance. "What did Yang do, tell him he'll never get it up or make a terrible pun? Or is it serious this time?" He knew he shouldn't be surprised, considering Yang's habit of starting massive brawls in various nightclubs around Vale. But now that she was being detained by the damn General of Atlas, it was more than just some harmless antics. _'What the hell could she have done?'_

" _This footage from the one-on-one rounds of the Vytal Festival should explain. I'm sending it to you now,"_ Ozpin breathed. Qrow raised an eyebrow, curious, and he sat down on the bed as he watched the feed. Yang was going up against some kid named Mercury Black from Haven Academy in Mistral, and it was a damn close fight right up to the end. Rather predictably, Yang had activated her semblance after taking a serious flurry of attacks from Mercury and unleashed a series of devastating hits to completely drain his aura. _'Doesn't seem out of the ordinary yet.'_

But as he kept watching, his jaw fell. Mercury was kneeling on the ground after losing, and Yang had fired a round from her shot-gauntlet right into his leg, possibly dismembering it as the teenage boy fell into a heap with a cry of pain. _'By the gods…Yang, just what the hell have you done? This was being broadcast across the world!'_ "What in the name of Oum…?"

" _She attacked an innocent student. Whether it was an assault or by accident, the people have started to draw their own conclusions. And all the negative emotion is not helping. Vale authorities are having their hands full repressing the Grimm, now,"_ the headmaster sighed tiredly. _"I'm concerned about Miss Xiao Long. She may be a little bit of a handful, and is hot-headed. But this kind of ruthlessness just doesn't fit her, and she was insistent she saw him attack her."_

"Just let me get dressed; you called me when I was in the shower," Qrow muttered, still slightly annoyed that he had been blocked from getting a morning score. _'Dammit Yang. Kid was just a huntsman in training, like yourself. Then he took a shot-gauntlet to the knee.'_

" _Were you sleeping with Winter again?"_ Ozpin sighed.

"Maybe," Qrow smirked, thinking how for an Ice Queen, she was very good in the bedroom.

" _Dammit Qrow. You know James isn't happy that you two have a love-hate relationship on this level."_ It was very easy to picture the headmaster rubbing his temples before taking a sip of coffee, probably screaming internally.

"I licked her; she's mine," the black-haired huntsman replied, laughing as he heard an embarrassed shriek from Winter in the bathroom.

" _That's not a thing,"_ Ozpin groaned in frustration. _"Would you stop licking things and claiming them as your own?"_

"Hey, that kept Tai from selling my drink mixer during our last argument."

" _Wasn't that a blender that his mother gave to him?"_

"Again. I licked it; it's mine," Qrow returned. "I'll be right there, okay? Don't let General Thick Skull imprison my niece before I get there." He hung up, and he stood up to dry himself before he got dressed. "Right…now, where in the name of Oum are my clothes?" _'Crap. I forgot that drunken one-night stands usually mean I'm not finding my clothes for at least an hour.'_

He dug under the sheets piled near the foot of the bed, and he found his underwear and pants. _'Okay, I found the important bits. Now where are my damn shoes and socks?'_ He tugged his underwear and pants back on, and he heard a series of wolf-whistles coming from the bathroom. The huntsman rolled his eyes, looking under the bed and finding his socks, but not the shoes. "Take a picture, Winter. It'll last longer." _'Great. Where did I put them?'_

The Ice Queen was wearing a white robe, and she smirked as she observed him tearing up the hotel room looking for his clothes. "I found your cape on the kitchen counter. It might need a wash, though; I doubt your headmaster would appreciate you smelling like sex at your meeting."

She tossed it over to him, and Qrow took a careful sniff to judge how bad it really was. _'Hmm…it'll pass. But I will definitely do laundry tomorrow.'_ His cape was starting to get really tattered now, with several holes in it thanks to wear and tear.

He never bought a replacement one, for it was special. It was the first gift someone had ever bought him, and it was from Summer in her attempt to get the team involved in 'Team Capes'. Taiyang and Raven were too busy having a makeout session on the abomination known as Taiyang's bed and didn't care for capes as a whole. Qrow was onboard with the update to his plain wardrobe, and he refused to remove it from his uniform despite that it didn't help with his mobility at times. Not only did it make him look cooler, but it helped him hide stashes of alcohol for himself and cookies for Ruby.

His jacket was folded in a haphazard pile where the remnants of Winter's dress lied, and the smell from the pile made Qrow's nose twitch. _'She'll need a good bath, too. Fair to say that dress is ruined for good now. And we certainly didn't do it any favors, considering how we are with each other. Probably cost her a boatload of money, too.'_ "Hate to be the one to point this out, but that dress is ruined. How much did you have to pay for it?"

"A few thousand lien," Winter called from the bathroom, probably doing her hair back up into its usual bun. "No matter. I can very easily waltz into a store and buy another one, or have one handmade within a week."

Qrow fitted his dress jacket back on, tying the cape onto it and ruffling his messy hair. "Hey, do you know where I put my shoes?" _'Why can I never find my shoes after one night stands? It's the world's most annoying reoccurring issue.'_ For some reason, no matter how careful he was at putting them someone before indulging in the opportunity to get laid, he could never find his shoes in the spot he put them. Once, they ended up in the washing machine. Winter didn't know how on Remnant they got there, either.

"Dunno. It's like they don't want to look at you after you sleep with someone," Winter sniggered. "You dirty old man."

"Woah, woah, woah. Who are you calling old?" Qrow smirked. "Last time I checked, old men don't have the youthful stamina to keep up with a pretty lady in the bedroom." _'It was great, a usual. Had her begging for me within five minutes. No matter how many times she tries to outlast me, she always fails.'_

He searched in the wardrobe, and he rolled his eyes as he found his shoes sitting in a pile. _'Why am I not surprised?'_ He pulled them out (the first time pulling out in awhile, hey-o!), and a rack of clothes collapsed not a second sooner thanks to his bad luck. The huntsman's eyebrow twitched at the site of the carnage, and his scroll vibrated in the pocket of his dress jacket once more. He pulled it out to see he had a message from Ruby, which surprised him; his youngest niece typically didn't message him. _'Ruby?'_

He opened it to see she wanted to talk to him about something in private later. Judging by the horribly misspelled words in it, she was incredibly nervous about something. _'She should be. She just watched the half-sister who helped raise her dismember someone. If my own blood wasn't such a pain, I'd be worried about them too.'_

"I'm leaving. I'll give you a call later tonight," Qrow called out as he tied up his shoes, grabbing his scythe and folding it into its retractable sword form, placing across his back. He didn't wait for Winter's reply as he headed out, and the crisp Vale autumn ruffled his hair before he transformed into a crow to reach Beacon faster. _'Dammit Yang. Just as bad as your mom sometimes.'_

Qrow was really beginning to resent this crap.

 _ **A/N: And that's it for chapter 6. Chapter 7 will feature the scene I have as the summary, I promise. Please, leave your thoughts in the review section below, and hopefully the next chapter isn't a pain in my ass. Also, check out my other works as well; I'm doing a 'Mad King of Beacon' series!**_

 _ **Until next time**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Chapter 7 of Bad Luck Rose is here, ladies and gentlemen. Been a little rough lately (got the damn flu, had to deal with my fiancée's parents being assholes…), but I hope a slightly longer chapter will make up for it.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 7***

"I'm sorry, but you left us with no choice," Ironwood murmured. Ruby was incredibly nervous with the General in their quarters; not even the headmaster had been in their room before. _'Stay strong…stay strong…'_ Team RWBY had been engaged in some misadventures during their second semester, including a massive food fight that would surely be one for Professor Ozpin to record and sell copies of.

But this wasn't some minor mischief that would only result in a tiny slap on the wrist or possibly a detention for one day.

Yang had fought Mercury Black during the one-on-one finals of the Vytal Festival, and after a narrow victory which saw Mercury's aura completely drained and Yang's barely at an acceptable level, the blonde brawler attacked him. Mercury was being flown into Mistral for emergency medical treatment to save his leg from being dismembered, and now, Yang was being interrogated by the General of the Atlesian Military and possibly facing assault charges. All in all, it was a mess that Ruby didn't want to be in.

"But he attacked me!" Yang protested, more dramatic and on the verge of getting incredibly emotional.

"Millions of viewers and footage say otherwise," Ironwood countered.

"But Yang would never do that!" Weiss spoke up, genuinely concerned for the self-proclaimed 'Mama Bear' of Team RWBY. The heiress and Yang didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of matters, but they at least respected each other's decisions. Most of the time. Weiss still wasn't happy when she accidentally walked in on Yang and Blake having sex earlier in the year.

Yang held her head in her hands, trying her best to keep from making an even bigger scene, and Ironwood let out a sigh. His blue eyes were sad as he looked over the four girls. "Look, I'm sure that you are all good students; your test scores in both combat training and your other classes suggest it. The staff members have assured me that you would have never done something like this under normal circumstances. What I hope this to be is nothing more than stress from the battlefield. When you're out there, your mind can very easily become confused and make you see things that aren't there. Even with the danger has passed."

"But I wasn't—"

"That's enough!" the General cut off Yang's second attempt to protest with a growl. "Whether this was an accident, or an assault, you still attacked an innocent student. The people are already drawing their own conclusions. And it's my duty to inform you that you have been disqualified. Good day."

Ironwood left, the door to their dorm closing behind them, and Yang looked up with dejected lilac eyes. "You guys believe me, right?"

"Duh!" Ruby rubbed her half-sister's shoulder.

"You're hotheaded, but no ruthless," Weiss agreed.

"Blake?" Yang looked at her girlfriend Blake, who had yet to speak during the whole interrogation. The cat Faunus wasn't meeting Yang's eyes, her own gaze set firmly on the floor. When the girl didn't answer, Weiss and Ruby exchanged shocked glances, the heiress's mouth open in surprise.

"…I want to believe you," Blake finally answered. Her response produced a horrified gasp from the young leader and an indignant cry of annoyance from Weiss.

"Just what in the name of Remnant is that supposed to mean!?" she demanded, smacking her hand down on her bed. "Yang would never lie to us! Can't you have faith in your girlfriend!?"

Yang's eyes were watering, bright with hurt and tears threatening to burst, and Blake took a breath before meeting her girlfriend's eyes. "Yang…this is all too familiar. I had someone close to me, named Ilia, change. It wasn't instant, like with Adam; this was gradual. First it was mistakes, then it was self-defense. Soon, I started to think she was right. But, you're not her, and you'll never be her. That's why I trust you. But you need to promise me that you saw him attack you, and that you regret doing what you did."

Yang wiped her eyes, swallowing and looking her in the eye. "I saw him attack me, so I attacked back."

Blake nodded quietly, walking across and giving her hand a squeeze. "Thank you."

"I'm going to rest for a bit," Yang murmured. "Do you think you can give me a little time to myself? i don't need to be like this in front of you."

"We'll get out of your hair." Blake kissed her cheek and walked out, Weiss in tow.

Yang looked up, sighing, and she blinked when she saw Ruby was staying with her. "Ruby? Why are you still here?"

The young redhead shuffled her feet, her silver gaze on the floor and her face red. "I…I need to talk to you about something. Something important, and I don't know who else to ask." _'Oh Oum why…why am I asking Yang of all people about relationship advice? Is it because I trust her, or because she's my big sister?'_

"Can it wait a second?" a voice quietly interrupted. Both girls turned to see their uncle leaning against the door, his red eyes sad. "Oz told me what happened, firecracker."

"Hey, Qrow…" Yang murmured. Ruby felt a pain in her heart at the sight of her sister looking so defeated, and it was like she wasn't the same outgoing big sister she knew. Instead, it was as if Yang was replaced by someone completely different, but wore the same mask.

"So, why did you do it?"

"You know why, Qrow."

"All I know is that you attacked some helpless kid. So either you're lying, or you're crazy."

"I'm not lying," Yang growled. "I really did see him attack me."

"Right, so it's the crazy. I got it," Qrow mumbled, reaching for his flask. "Isn't your little cat girlfriend supposed to be the emo one?"

He took a swig, and Yang looked down at the floor. "I saw my mom." Qrow and Ruby looked at the blonde in surprise, and the elder sister continued in. "I was in a bad spot, and had taken a really hard hit. But when I came to, the person attacking me was gone, and I thought I saw her. Her sword, just like in the picture you and Dad have of."

"You're not crazy, Yang," Qrow murmured, taking a seat next to her and ruffling her hair. "You definitely saw your mom. Let me guess; she didn't say a word to you, did she? A real good mother she turned out to be."

"That was real? Why didn't you tell me?" Yang demanded, her lilac eyes tearing up again. "I've been looking for her for so long!"

"I know. I was waiting for the right time, I guess," the dusty huntsman admitted. "And this sure as hell isn't it. But now's better than later, I suppose. Raven found me when I was out looking for information on one of my more recent jobs, and she wanted me to pass on a message to you instead of bothering to talk to you herself. She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once, but you shouldn't expect her to show that kindness again. Raven's got a really unusual way of looking at the world that I don't agree with. And she's dangerous. But you're a tough egg, kiddo. You had a slip-up, but I say you put it behind you and move on."

"Move on to what?" Yang asked, looking up at her uncle. He wasn't around often, due to being off on a mission in some of the worst places in Remnant, but when he was, he provided better emotional and mental support than one would think. On the surface, he seemed to be a distant drunken huntsman with a cynical sense of sarcasm, but he really did care for Ruby and Yang. For awhile, it seemed as he was the only functioning member of Team STRQ left, with the girls' father battling depression from losing two lovers.

"Well, your mom let some info slip the last time we met. If you ever want to find her, I can help," Qrow replied, sitting down next to his eldest niece and ruffling her hair. "Just don't tell your dad; he'd attempt to rip me a new one if he found out. And as I'm sure you know, he packs one mean punch. It's no surprise where you get it from. Along with your awful puns."

"They're not that bad," Yang mumbled, leaning into his shoulder and wiping her eyes. "And…thanks, Qrow. You really know how to make a crappy situation better."

"Comes with years of having to play therapist to Taiyang," the huntsman murmured. "For future reference, taking your depressed friend to a strip-club in an attempt to cheer him up doesn't work. That idea backfired real quick."

"Do I want to know?"

"Story for when your sister isn't around."

Ruby blushed, squirming uncomfortably as the image of her uncle and dad at a club of ill repute raised its ugly head. _'It's no secret that he's been with other women before. And come on, you're underage! You shouldn't care so much about this! And yet, you want to be with him more than anyone!'_

' _You do know you're not technically related.'_

' _He raised me!'_

' _He'll notice it sooner or later. You might as well tell him.'_

"I'm going to get some sleep," Yang sniffled, pulling her and Blake's bedsheets up over herself. "Lemme know if anything interesting happens at the fight tonight, okay?" Her sniffles quickly turned into snores, to no surprise of Ruby; the blonde brawler was the only one who could fall asleep faster than Zwei, who jumped up to snuggle his way under the covers.

"I got your message, Ruby." Qrow turned to his youngest niece, and the redhead felt her heart start to pound as he sat down on the chair that went with Weiss's desk. "It's not like you to ask to talk to me about something personal."

"Um…can we go somewhere else?" Ruby shifted her feet, her silver gaze staring at the floor. The tension was threatening to overwhelm her, and for several long seconds, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to say what she needed to him. _'You've faced down Grimm and survived seeing your sister mostly naked and drunk. You can do this.'_

Qrow blinked, and he nodded a few times before standing up, waving to her. "Come on kiddo. I know a perfect place for us to talk."

Ruby fell in next to her uncle, and though everything about it screamed against her common sense, she held onto his arm like she used to when she was a little girl. Qrow looked down in surprise, and he ruffled her short hair. "I remember when you used to be clingy like this. Often after I would read you a bedtime story. You would hold onto my hand until you fell asleep. You have no idea how big of a smile that would put on my face."

"I-I'm sorry…I don't know why I'm being like this," Ruby mumbled. _'Don't lie. You know why you're clinging to him like a fraidy-cat. He's the one person besides Yang and Dad who you feel safe around, no matter the situation. You always trust him.'_ Qrow wasn't related to her, but he helped raise her to the best of his abilities; with her dad battling depression from losing two lovers, Qrow had to play 'Papa Bird' for quite a bit of Ruby's childhood. He took her to parks, read her fairy tales, and even knitted her very first cloak when she was five years old.

"Hehe. Hey, do you remember what you used to make me do when you were a little pipsqueak?" Qrow asked, a happy smile forming on his face. "You would make me sneak cookies out of the house for you whenever we went to that one park nearby. And then I'd have to take a little of the blame whenever your dad had a fit looking for whoever ate them all later on."

"I… I'm sorry," Ruby mumbled in embarrassment, wishing she could just fade away as her uncle recalled the scenario. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble." _'Why is he bringing that up?'_

"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Qrow chuckled, seeing she was as red as her namesake. "I quite enjoyed those little shenanigans of ours. You have no idea how nice of a change it was, with Yang nearly burning the house down whenever she had to get her hair trimmed and your dad being as emo as your sister's girlfriend."

"Blake isn't that bad…"

"From what Yang tells me, she's pretty damn close. Only she would go for the one with a troubled past. Like father, like daughter."

It was nice for Ruby to see Qrow mostly happy again. Ever since he quit teaching at Signal, Ruby noticed that the huntsman often looked tired and wore a sad expression on his face. That is, right up until he saw her. His sad look was replaced with a more cheerful expression, as if Ruby's mere presence made him happy. _'I always wondered why that was the case. But more so now, since I realized how I felt about him.'_

Her heart thumped painfully as the two walked out of the school and down towards the city; it felt like it would burst in her chest. It didn't take long for the young redhead to realize that Qrow was taking her to her favorite ice cream shop, and her silver eyes were wide. "Ice cream?"

"Yep. Goodness knows it's been long enough since you've been spoiled," Qrow laughed. "After all, a good uncle takes care of his niece as best as he can. Even if he has a drinking problem and has a little run with your teammate's older sister."

Ruby's ears lit up, and she let go of her uncle's hand to cover them with a furious blush. "H-hey! I'm still only fifteen!" _'Ah! And I'm jealous of the fact that he did things with Weiss's sister!'_

"Sorry kiddo. Forgot you're not like your sister. I'll let the Mama Bear be the one to give you the 'birds and the bees' talk. Tai owes me big-time for making me be the one to give it to Yang." Qrow scratched his head awkwardly while he held the door to the shop open for her.

Ruby stepped inside, her big eyes growing round at the sight of all the delicious ice cream waiting to be consumed. "Wow…I never cease to be amazed at how many flavors they have here! Rocky Road, Apple, Chocolate Eruption, French Vanilla…mmm." _'It's so hard to choose just one! Why does there have to be so many good choices?'_

She spotted a flavor they were lacking on her last visit, and she pressed her hands on the glass. "Chocolate chip cookie flavored!?"

"Hehe, I figured you'd like to be the official taster of it," Qrow smiled, ruffling her hair. "They just got it in last week."

The vendor appeared behind the counter, wiping his sticky red hair from his face and panting. "What can I get you two?" Poor guy was probably the only one working, and today was quite busy, with many of the booths already filled up.

"Two scoops of chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate shake, and two Cokes please," Qrow ordered.

"Order will come up to 360 lien."

Qrow pulled the cards out of his pocket, tossing them lazily onto the counter. Ruby gave his hand a squeeze, flushed at the spoils. "T-thank you Uncle Qrow!" _'He really is the best uncle ever.'_

"Hey, it's no big deal." Qrow picked up their orders and carefully carried them over to the last available booth, sitting down. "I figured it had been awhile."

Ruby sat down next to him, making him look at her with a bemused expression. "Damn…you're feeling clingy today, huh?"

While his tone was gentle and teasing, like the uncle she knew and loved, there was something else underneath. Something hidden.

Something guilty.

"So. What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Qrow pressed, taking a sip of his drink. It was a little strange to see him not drinking some sort of alcohol, but the huntsman seemed to make it a point to not be drunk in front of her, from the time she was fourteen.

"I…" Ruby swallowed nervously, her heart thumping painfully. "I've…been having these feelings. I didn't know what they meant at first, or why they were happening. But now, I think I know why."

"Who is it?" Qrow asked quietly, not meeting her gaze. "Someone I know?"

"Uncle Qrow…I'm so sorry," Ruby started to cry silently, tears streaming from her silver eyes. "It's you."

The huntsman coughed, hitting his chest and trying to clear his throat. When he regained his breath, he looked at her seriously, placing his glass down. His red eyes were solemn, and he shook his head. "Ruby, I…I don't know what to say. I already feel bad as it is for being closer to you than I'd like. Your dad would kill me if he found out, your also the daughter of one of my best friends…this is wrong. In so many different ways. And yet…"

Qrow let out a frustrated sigh, picking up his glass and swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be you?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking up at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you." Ruby sniffled and buried her head into his chest, her tears dripping down her cheeks and staining his dress shirt. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…I feel like a freak."

Qrow let out a quiet, bitter laugh, stroking her soft hair. "Tell me about it. Being physically attracted to someone who's the daughter of your best friends. As if fate wasn't out to get me already, it goes and throws this little wrench into my life."

He took a sip of his drink, the ice clicking, and he leaned to give her a tight hug. "Listen…for now, don't say anything to anyone. Not even Yang. The fewer people who know about it, the better. We don't need your dad storming up to me and trying to rip my arms off before clapping along to my death, okay?"

Ruby nodded quietly, leaning into the hug, and Qrow ruffled her hair. "Hey, chin up. We can think of something."

"Mmhm."

She didn't even notice her ice cream was melting.

 _ **A/N: And that's a wrap for this chapter. Please, leave your thoughts below, and I hope to not have another massive fucking lapse in terms of updates.**_

 _ **Also, please check out my Drunk Marriage fic! That's right; I'm part of the community now :3**_

 _ **Peace!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Chapter 8 of Bad Luck Rose. I'm sorry for the delay, but I had a bad bout of writer's block for this fic.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 8***

Qrow hated meetings with Ironwood.

And not because he couldn't get drunk, either. The huntsman was a pro at sneaking it in by now, having learned from Winter that the General didn't check what was in travel coffee cups.

He hated dealing with Ironwood because it was the same crap over and over again. 'Stop sleeping with my best Specialist' and 'My military's presence makes the people feel safe'. _'Give me a damn break already. That fleet makes them nervous, even if they don't know why.'_

Qrow felt somewhat less stressed out though, after his talk with Ruby. Knowing they both had the same problem of being attracted to someone not in their generation and took a bit of the weight from his shoulders, but he couldn't ignore the Goliath in the room.

Taiyang was going to brutally murder him if he caught wind of it. Probably punch him until his hands broke or beat him with a bat. _'Attracted to my best friend's daughter. Don't I just love what cards fate deals me.'_

He sighed, waiting for either Ozpin or Glynda to hurry the hell up; nothing was worse than having to sit through the General's meetings by his lonesome with only his whiskey for company. _'Where the heck are you? I'm getting bored here.'_

"We need every available huntsman to suppress the increase in Grimm activity outside the city walls," Ironwood blabbed as if Qrow didn't already know that. "And that includes…are you even listening to me?"

"Sure. We need to kill the big bad Grimm, so we must go in with brute force," Qrow answered dryly, rolling his eyes. "Aren't generals supposed to be tacticians? Brute force isn't the answer for every damn problem in the world. You have to be a fool to think so." _'Oh wait, he is one. He still can't get it through his thick skull that Roman was only half of the problem. The other head is now calling the shots, and whoever they are, they're also responsible for Amber's condition.'_

"Qrow!" Ironwood hissed, slamming his fist down and denting his desk. "This is serious! We still don't know who's behind the attack on Amber!"

"You mean, _you_ don't know," Qrow corrected, folding his arms. "Ozpin hasn't told you everything." _'I'm not saying a damn thing about it. I know perfectly well that Salem is the one pulling the strings, as does Glynda. But we also agreed not to tell the meathead until Ozpin said to.'_

"Oh really? Would you care to give me this information? Or is it something I can only extract via getting in bed with you? I'm sure Winter would know."

"Don't you dare," the huntsman growled, his red eyes furious. "I wouldn't dare betray Ozpin's trust. And leave Winter out of this; don't be jealous that she isn't sleeping with you." _'Low blow and petty, but whatever. And she's still too young to truly grasp what's going on, and she has enough to worry about without this crap weighing on her shoulders. I don't wish that burden on anyone.'_

Ironwood looked like he would have liked to throw a punch at the huntsman, but the arrival of both Glynda and Ozpin prevented him from doing so. The General glared at Qrow through narrowed eyes, and the recipient of the dirty look merely smirked; he knew damn well that James was annoyed by fact that Qrow was the one Winter opened herself up to even though they argued like an old married couple.

Ironwood lowered his hand, fighting to keep the anger from his voice upon Ozpin's arrival. "Sorry, Ozpin. I hope you didn't hear too much of that."

"I temporarily went deaf in one of my ears during whatever vocal altercation took place," the headmaster smiled, twiddling his thumbs. "I can assure you that I didn't hear a thing." He might have fooled the General, but Qrow spotted that familiar glint of both amusement and slight exasperation in Ozpin's eyes, and the huntsman smirked; the old man heard everything.

Ironwood bought the small lie, and he gave Qrow one last dirty look before straightening his suit. "I assume you saw my report, Ozpin?"

"I did," the headmaster replied, taking a sip of coffee from his seemingly bottomless mug. "I can assure you that the available huntsmen are more than capable of dealing with the Grimm activity outside the kingdom. The sudden spike is a result of the tragedy during Yang Xiao Long's match against Mercury Black. I have confidence it will be quelled. And Qrow, have you spoken to your niece since the incident?"

"I have," Qrow answered, shaking his flask and hearing the familiar sound of whiskey inside. "Don't worry about her too much, Oz. She's a tough kid, and she'll use this to become even stronger." He knew damn well that Ozpin wasn't talking about Yang; rather, he wanted to know if he had a talk with his little rosebud, as he affectionately called her. But there was no need for either the General or Glynda to know that little detail. _'I know what you really meant, Oz. You want to know if I talked to Ruby. I did, and damn do I have a lot of crap to worry about. I'm worried about us getting discovered, for it would cause a few problems for both of us. Tai would kill me, Metal-Head would have me incarcerated, and I don't even want to know what else would happen.'_

' _Dammit. Why the hell does everything have to be this difficult?'_ He let out a sigh of frustration. He really wished things could be a bit smoother.

"Good. She shouldn't have to have that hanging over her head constantly." Ozpin took another slurp of coffee, earning him a scowl from Glynda; the disciplinarian hated that nearly 40 percent of the school budget went towards the headmaster's coffee supply.

Personally, Qrow found it amusing that something as simple as coffee could annoy the blonde professor. He remembered how little it took to get her irritated from his time as a student, and he smirked; him and Taiyang spent sometimes hours at a time trying to purposely annoy her, whether it was by taking out the book she wanted from the library and underlining the good parts or proceeding to eat all of the noodles from Simple Wok. It took them awhile, but after a few weeks they eventually got her to snap and attempt to string both boys up on the flagpole by their pants.

Ozpin had witnessed the spectacle, and Qrow could never forget his face; it had hovered between amusement and exasperation during the entirety of the incident, and eventually he interfered to prevent the blonde witch from murdering them.

Qrow made sure to never let Glynda forget it, either. And that made her more annoyed.

"So, what's the next course of action, Oz?" he asked, slicking his bangs back. "We still have no leads on to who the infiltrator is, and that Nikos girl still hasn't given us an answer." _'Time's running short. I can feel it. Someone is about to make a major move, and none of us know what the hell is it. Talk about frustrating.'_

He knew Pyrrha would need some time to think long and hard about becoming the next Fall Maiden via Ironwood's technology. It was frightening, in a way; no one had ever dared to try and bind a person's aura to another before, easily making it one of, if not the, most ambitious scientific endeavors in the past fifty years, even for Atlesian standards. So many things could easily go wrong. Pyrrha could to change into a completely different person, or possibly go rogue like the Spring Maiden.

"For now, continue observing everyone who has come from one of the other academies," Ozpin instructed. "We can't afford to start a panic. We all know what that will bring clawing at Vale's walls."

"What about the rise in Grimm activity?" Ironwood asked. "We still need some additional huntsman support."

Ozpin looked at Qrow, and he nodded with a sigh. "Don't worry. Anything that gets too close will get a nice taste of Harbinger here. Those sissies will have to tango with me before they set one pinky toe in the city." He patted his scythe's compact form affectionately, like a father would a child. _"Being a father is hard work, Qrow. You have to be ready to put your life on the line for your children whenever they're in danger."_

He may have not been a dad, but dammit, Ruby and Yang were pretty darn close to his own kids. He'd die before anyone with malicious intent laid a single finger on one of their hairs. Especially Ruby. _'Dear Oum, listen to me. I'm starting to sound like Tai when he first had Yang. Is this what it means to be overly protective of someone?'_

Even though he and Ruby both confessed the way they felt about each other, he couldn't help but feel guilty for it. He felt as though it was almost taking advantage of her. The age difference didn't help. _'Not until she's at least of age do you even consider doing anything with her. Do not rush this. You both need time.'_

He sighed, reaching for his flask and giving it a few gentle shakes again. He couldn't hear any liquid sloshing about inside this time, and he groaned inwardly. _'Dammit all. I knew I should've refilled the damn thing before I came to this stupid meeting. Like we don't already know we need to quell the Grimm and continue observing to find Amber's attacker.'_

His displeasure must have showed, because Ozpin flashed him a look of sympathy, letting a small bottle of Vacuo Rum slide out of his coat sleeve when Ironwood and Glynda had their backs turned.

"Here," the headmaster whispered. "I know it's not whiskey, but it'll keep you until you get a chance to head back into town."

"Thanks," Qrow whispered back. He quickly poured the bottle's contents into his flask, screwed the top back on, and slipped it into his jacket pocket. He was lucky he was still able to move quickly even intoxicated, because Ironwood was facing him again within seconds of his flask hitting the bottom of his pocket.

"So, we're agreed on our next course of action?" he asked. "We'll continue to keep an eye out for any leads and bring them to circle's attention before doing anything too bold?"

"Agreed," Ozpin answered, taking another slurp of coffee.

"Whatever…"

"Qrow!"

"Fine. Go team. Can I leave now? Or do I need to get a hall pass?" Qrow asked mockingly. Ozpin hid a laugh behind a cough, and the huntsman couldn't help but smirk at the irritated looks both Ironwood and Glynda sent him. _'Hehe. It really is too much fun messing with him. Even in crappy situations like this.'_

He hoped Ruby was doing okay.

* * *

Ruby was outside on the landing pads outside the courtyard, and she ran over to one of the members of Team CFVY, Velvet. The rabbit Faunus was taking pictures left and right, while Sun paced back and forth with his gun-chuks dangling over one shoulder.

"Hey Velvet," Ruby greeted, waving as she approached. Her mind felt a lot less turbulent, now that she confessed to Qrow how she felt about him. But she was still frantic with worry, mainly about her big sister.

Yang was never one to be broody at all, always burning brighter than anyone else in the room whether it was literally via her semblance or with her radiant smile and personality. For Ruby to see her so dejected after the horrible incident during the tournament, it made her both confused and worried that something else was happening. But whatever it was, she couldn't put her finger on it. Regardless, she was going to do her duty as both team leader and a supportive sister to make sure Yang felt better soon; she helped raise her, and family should always be there for each other.

"Oh, hey Ruby," Velvet smiled. She was a lot more cheerful now that Coco and Yatsuhashi were no longer kicking themselves for a poor performance during the doubles round, and she clicked her camera away.

"What are you doing?" the young redhead asked.

"Just working on my photography," Velvet replied. "See?" She showed Ruby several pictures, all of which seemed to be of Sun and his weapon. It looked like Ruby wasn't the only weapons geek in Beacon.

That's…nice," Ruby tried, giving an awkward smile. Even after nearly a full year at Beacon, she still had some social awkwardness around upper-classmen, even if most were friendly like Velvet.

"I'm sorry to hear about your sister," Velvet offered, her rabbit ears drooping a little. "It's just awful some of the things people are saying about her. Most don't know what it's like to be on the battlefield. Even the most experienced fighters get scared. If it could happen to Coco, it could happen to anyone."

"Coco?" Ruby asked, surprised. She hadn't heard anything about Team CFVY's leader going through something similar.

"Yeah. During the fight with Emerald and Mercury, she said she saw Yatsu in the forest with her, but he never made it out of the geyser fields," Velvet shrugged. "Stress-induced hallucinations, apparently."

Something was off, and Ruby think she knew what it was. "Yeah…" _'So Coco also saw something when fighting Emerald and Mercury? That can't be a coincidence.'_

She shook her head; she didn't want to believe it. Emerald and Mercury were too friendly to her and her team to seem to be up to anything malicious. _'No. It can't be true. We're friends!'_

Ruby ran past Velvet, ignoring her startled yelp.

She had to make sure. Before someone else got hurt at the tournament.

 _ **A/N: Again, sorry this took so long. I didn't mean for it to happen, I swear. *ducks the pitchforks* Ack! Quit throwing shit! You could poke me eye out!**_

 _ **Discord: DPLxBeAsTxSnIpE #5371**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hello all, it's been far too long since we've seen an update for this, and for that I do apologize. But with real life comes less time to write, sadly, and this is just one of the many fics to get put on the backburner until I can actually finish some.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 9***

Ruby looked around the coliseum, her silver eyes searching for anyone that looked either suspicious or out of place. The news that Velvet just gave her about Coco also suffering from an illusion was far too suspicious for her to ignore, and she didn't want someone else to get hurt after the incident earlier in the week.

She strode down towards the seats by the base of the ring, passing by crowds of students from the other academies that also came to watch the finals. Even in light of the incident with Yang, the stadium was packed; a deafening roar of applause rose up from the seats as the center arena lights clicked on, signaling the beginning of the match of the night.

' _It's really, really loud. I'm starting to see why Blake and Weiss didn't want to come.'_ Ruby took her seat, only to gasp. On the other side of the arena was someone who wasn't supposed to be there.

"Emerald? What's she doing here?"

The green-haired girl seemed to notice Ruby even from her vantage point, and she scowled at the young leader.

Ruby blinked, and she stood up to make a beeline to the maintenance halls as the randomization progress started with Oobleck's voice booming into the microphone. _"Let us see who the matchup will be today!"_

' _This doesn't make any sense!'_ Ruby's mind was racing. _'Mercury was badly hurt and is supposed to be in Mistral with the rest of his team! Why is she here!?'_

Something about this was wrong. Why was Emerald here, when the news said she went back to Mistral?

She pushed open the doors, and stopped dead in her tracks when someone came into the halls from one of the rooms. Someone who wasn't supposed to be walking, let alone at the tournament.

Mercury.

The silver-haired boy smirked, not saying a word to her. Instead, he cockily walked a little bit closer to the caped leader, his boots scuffing the ground.

" _Our matchup is Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon, and she will be going up against Penny Polendina from Atlas!"_ Professor Port announced.

Ruby's eyes narrowed, and she started to panic when she realized what it meant. "No…!"

"Oooh, polarity versus metal," Mercury said mockingly. "That could be bad."

Ruby reached for her scythe, only to realize she left it in her weapon locker back at the school. She was practically weaponless. "What's going on? You were hurt!"

And yet again, Mercury gave her the silent treatment.

"Fine. If you won't answer me…" Ruby stepped left, and Mercury moved to keep her in front. She moved back, and he did the same.

" _Begin!"_ Doctor Oobleck signaled the beginning of the match, and even inside, Ruby could hear the crowd roaring in excitement.

"Showtime." Mercury smirked.

Ruby tried to use her semblance in an attempt to blow past him. However, he was just as fast, stopping her with a swift kick to the stomach and knocking her back with a follow up.

Ruby got up, tried to bring out her scroll to call her teammates for help, and the silver-haired boy blasted it out of her hand with the guns in his boots. It broke, and Mercury chuckled. He gave a mocking wave of his hand, a twisted smirk on his face. "Let's keep this between the two of us 'friends'."

Ruby narrowed her eyes angrily as the realization sank in. _'So it was him, Emerald, and Cinder behind this the whole time. They made Yang hallucinate.'_

No one messed with her big sister like that.

Ruby rushed forward, ducking under a pair of Mercury's kicks. She ran up on the side of the wall to get past him, and ran ahead.

' _Please,_ ' she prayed. _'Don't let me be too late.'_

She had to reach Emerald and stop her before she harmed another one of Ruby's friends, or worse.

* * *

Emerald scowled in annoyance when Mercury's message flashed across her scroll. _'I thought the idiot would be able to keep her occupied for much longer. Grr, I hate him more and more each day.'_

However, for the most part things were progressing as planned, despite Ruby's interference. Pyrrha and Penny were locked in quite the battle, and all Emerald really had to do now was wait. Wait for the right opportunity to use her semblance against the prized champion from Mistral. _'Mercury's incompetence aside, this is going exactly as Cinder said it would.'_

She smirked; Cinder was never wrong about a plan of theirs before.

The green-haired girl watched the fight with a hungry stare. Both Pyrrha and Ironwood's little toy were exceptionally skilled in battle, neither willing to let the other gain the advantage. _'Both of you are good. And yet it is that skill and determination that will lead to both of your downfalls.'_

As cruel as it was, Emerald liked that a little.

Penny managed to disarm the Nikos girl with her own blades, and that's when Emerald struck with her semblance. She concentrated on the redhead, making her see hundreds, if not thousands, of Penny's swords ready to kill her.

Pyrrha wobbled back, and Emerald smirked. _'Perfect.'_

Penny went to attack, and Pyrrha unleashed her own semblance, polarity. She blasted the swords back, and the illusion faded as the wires wrapped around Penny's body. The automaton let out a surprised gasp, and it was cut by the wires ripping her body apart.

Emerald stood up from her seat, stretching her arms above her head as the audience gasped in horror at the events they witnessed. "Well…"

"My job here is done."

It was just the beginning of the Fall of Beacon, and it was time for her to report to Cinder for the next stage.

* * *

Ruby sank to her knees in horror as she saw the scene in front of her. "N-no…Penny…" Tears welled up her eyes, and she started to cry for her lost friend. _'No, this can't be real…this has to be a dream! Please, let it be a dream!'_

She heard the door open behind her; Mercury had managed to finally catch up, but he made no move to attack her. instead, he merely smirked cruelly and walked away, leaving the young redhead by herself.

' _So this is what it is like to lose someone who was your friend.'_ Ruby couldn't move, not even as a voice she recognized spoke on the loudspeaker.

" _This is not a tragedy,"_ Cinder said with a hint of a sneer. _"This was not an accident. This is what happens you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."_

" _They cling to this power in the name of peace,"_ she continued. _"And yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed either."_

Her taunting went on, even as the audience tried to cover their eyes and ears as if to tell themselves they witnessed a bad dream. _"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves._

" _As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure the situation there is…equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So, I ask you: When the first shots are fired…who do you think you can trust?"_

Cinder's voice dropped out, replaced now with static, and soon a loud warning siren began to blare throughout the arena.

" **Alert! Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly fashion."**

Ruby wiped her teary eyes, looking up as a giant Nevermore landed on the barrier on top of the arena. The giant beast screeched, pecking at the barrier with its beak, and the students in attendance started to scream as they ran for their lives.

She sniffled, clenching a fist in anger. _'They took Penny, and hurt both Yang and Pyrrha.'_

They were going to pay for this.

* * *

Qrow burst into Ozpin's office with Glynda by his side. "Oz!"

The headmaster was looking out of the window, appalled by the events that just happened, and he gripped his cane tightly. "Get to the city."

"But…" Qrow couldn't bring himself to leave Beacon, despite knowing how powerful Ozpin was. This was the same group that left the Fall Maiden in a permanently crippled state, and they would rain hell down upon the school.

"Now!" Ozpin ordered.

There was no arguing with that. Qrow sighed and turned back around, Glynda in tow. "Dammit. This is a mess." _'Ruby…'_

' _Stay safe.'_

First chance he got, he was making sure his little rosebud was safe.

* * *

Several Bullheads, piloted by the White Fang, flew towards Beacon's airstrips. Atlesian soldiers were below, trying their best to fight the Grimm horde. Ursai, Beowolves, Creepers, Deathstalkers, Griffons, and even a few Goliaths continued their never-ending trudge towards the school, and Adam snorted in disgust.

' _Typical Atlesian arrogance.'_ He gripped Wilt and Blush tightly, and the bull Faunus leapt down from his own ship once it neared the surface. His sword was a blur of motion, and he cut down an Atlesian soldier. His body fell to the ground, and Adam sheathed his sword, turning to his fellow White Fang members.

"Don't let any escape!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" they yelled, respecting his authority as head of the Vale Branch.

Adam smiled under his mask. This would be his day to prove to the White Fang that he was the leader they needed, not Sienna. She was too weak to do what was necessary, to really make the humans fear them.

This would send a message. A message that Faunus were not to tolerate human prejudices any more.

Adam blocked a soldier's strike, kicking him away. The soldier grunted out in pain, his pistol falling to the ground. "White Fang scum!"

Adam bristled at the comment, but didn't say a word as he put his sword through the man's chest and tore.

He sheathed his sword and pushed on.

Around him, his fellow brothers and sisters were engaging in a fight with the Atlesian soldiers, and one of the battleships started to turn towards the other two in the battle in the skies.

It opened fire, and Adam watched as the two ships burst into flames. _'Looks like following her lead on this is going to go exactly as planned. For a human, she's not too bad. Pity that I'll have to rip her throat out, when the time comes.'_

Adam only had one goal, and that was his ambition. Nothing would stand in his way. Not Cinder, not Sienna, and certainly not Blake Belladonna.

Any who tried to stop him would end up dead, just like the Atlesian soldiers who flung themselves at him in anger. His ambition would never cease.

Not for anyone.

 _ **A/N: A bit on the shorter side, especially considering the amount of shit that happens in the last few episodes of Volume 3, I know. But, a few necessary changes have been made. I feel as though they fucked up Adam's character. He doesn't give a fuck about Blake, or anything except his ambition. I tried to portray his coldness a little here.**_

 _ **Any comments are appreciated, of course. Peace!**_

 _ **Discord: DPL #5371**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: So, it's been awhile, I admit. Updates have been relatively slow, with me having fucking thirteen active stories at once (including this one) and struggling to balance out shit, but here we are. I also wanted to wait until more plot of V6 came out.**_

 **Bad Luck Rose**

 _Summary: Qrow let out a frustrated sigh as he picked up his glass, swirling the liquid within. "Dammit. Why does it have to be_ you _?" She leaned her head against his shoulder, looking at him with teary eyes. "Because…I love you."_

 ***Chapter 10***

Adam wiped the blood off of Wilt, stepping over the corpse of an Atlesian soldier. The bull Faunus was described as many things by the other members of the White Fang. A good leader. A true fighter for their cause. Someone who truly believed in his fellow Faunus being the superior species to humanity.

But very few knew the truth about him. The truth why he hated humanity and Atlas with such a burning, seething passion.

His porcelain mask started to crack after his dead enemy had managed to land a single shot on his face, and bit by bit it was crumbling away until it revealed the horrifying brand that had blinded him in his left eye. The letters SDC were scorched onto the pale flesh, the burn scars still painful to this day.

His mask fell to the ground, and the other members of the White Fang backed away from him. None of them had ever seen his face without the mask before. Not even Sienna. The only one who had seen his face was Blake.

He expected to feel anger thinking about his ex-girlfriend. She had left him, after all. Ran away like a coward, unable to commit to both him and the cause of exacting the justice mankind so greatly deserved. He should've been angry with her, and want her to suffer for it. She deserved it, abandoning him the way she did.

But instead…he didn't. Thinking about her didn't make his blood boil with anger, pumping through his veins until it made his very insides become alight with a hot flame that would burn anything it touched. He felt…nothing. Nothing towards her at all. No animosity, no longing; there was nothing.

Adam didn't care about her in the slightest. She could die for all he cared, and he wouldn't feel a thing.

Even as his ruined mask fell onto the ground and exposed the molten pit of his remaining eye, he was strangely calm and composed. "Move up! Take the CCT! Don't leave any of the soldiers alive!"

 _That_ got him furious. Thinking about Atlas in general made him become furious. Their arrogance that made them think they were better than everyone else, their treatment towards the Faunus, and how they thought that horrible bigoted bastard Jacque Schnee was a good person. The SDC tortured and maimed him because he didn't supposedly didn't mine enough of their Dust, and Atlas had the nerve to say he was a hero for keeping their economy as strong as it is!?

Adam would make them pay for what they did to him. He swore on his sword that he would make the SDC feel the same pain he did that day. He would make Jacque suffer, whether it be by killing his family one by one until he died and by continuing to make the White Fang destroy trains that carried SDC-mined Dust.

If Sienna wasn't a damned coward, he would've already led the assault on the Schnee manor by now to exact his revenge.

He let out a scoff at the thought of the tiger Faunus. At first, when she praised him for being daring enough to use force to fight back against humans who dared to assault them, Adam thought she was the perfect person to lead the White Fang over Ghira Belladonna. The fool was stuck in his ways of peaceful protesting.

But now, Sienna was holding back in a war they could easily win. Faunus were superior to humans, in every way. They won the Human-Faunus War and even captured the human general, General Lagune. The tiger Faunus had gone soft, and it was time for someone else to take up the mantle of responsibility of leading the White Fang towards their goal.

It was time for him, Adam Taurus, to take control of the White Fang.

He smirked and stepped over the still twitching mechanical body of one of Ironwood's metallic creations. The thought of commanding the Fang, leading them into battle and standing triumphant on a pile of human corpses with his sword dripping with their blood, was thrilling. It sent a shiver up his spine, and he knew what was to be done. There was no arrogance about it; just a calm certainty.

He would lead the White Fang once Beacon was nothing more than a crumbling ruin. Adam already had men and women loyal to him within Sienna's own personal guard. The coup was beginning to take shape. When he arrived back in Mistral to report to her, he'd strike.

Today was more than just the Fall of Beacon. It was the day the White Fang would come under his control.

A Beowolf leapt at him from the right, bursting through the flames of a ruined Paladin, and Adam's sword cut the beast down. It fell in two in front of him and rapidly vanished in a flurry of black, and Adam scoffed. "Pathetic."

He started to make his way towards Beacon's grand dining hall, firing Blush at the guards trying to hold off the Grimm. His first shot hit a soldier between the eyes, and he dropped in a heap. His remaining eye was a molten blue pit, filled with hatred for humanity, and he proceeded to slash and shoot at every single soldier in his sight.

He sheathed his sword, and his men looked to him for guidance. He pointed to the tower, his voice calm. "Perry, Deery, you're with me. We're holding down this sector. Felix, I want you to aid in Locus's attack on the east."

"Hehe. You got it, boss." Felix grinned and ran off with his squad, and Adam smirked.

Everything was going exactly as he wanted it to.

* * *

Ruby ran through the stands as the Nevermore attacking the arena prepared to break through the shields. The giant Grimm rose up and slammed its way through the barrier, and it flapped its broad wings to create a powerful gust of wind. "Pyrrha!"

The redhead was blown back, and she didn't even bother getting up. It was as if she resigned herself to be killed.

Ruby wasn't going to lose another friend. She used her semblance, turning into a red blur and snagging one of Penny's swords. The Nevermore went to snap its beak at the motionless redhead, and Ruby sank the sword into the beast's wing.

It cried out in pain and stumbled back, smoke pouring from its wound. It shook its bony head and screeched out, its red eyes meeting Ruby's own silver glare. The young leader had the sword ready again, her grip on it tight. "Leave her alone!"

The Nevermore rose up and flew at them, and Ruby braced herself for impact. It was fast, too fast for her to move Pyrrha out of the way even with her semblance.

And then, a dozen lockers fell from the sky, landing on the beast's body and forcing it to the ground. The Nevermore cried weakly as it crashed in a heap of feathers and Ruby turned to see Jaune, Nora, Ren, Team SSSN, CFVY, ABRN, and Neon and Flynt. They had called their weapons to lend a hand in the fight, and Ruby smiled.

"Ruby…" Pyrrha was on her knees, holding a bit of shredded cloth from Penny's body, and she looked at her with teary eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"I know," Ruby said sadly, fighting her own tears. "But, it wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for this."

"She's right," Jaune added in. the blond knight held Pyrrha's weapons in his hands, and he gave them to her. "Whoever it was that was on the loudspeaker…they're the one to blame for this. And we're not letting them take anyone else."

Pyrrha took her weapons with a firm nod, and the ground shook as the Nevermore took flight again.

Ren leapt up into the air and spun, slicing at the Grimm's face with his blades. It fell, and before it could raise its head, Nora slammed it back down with her hammer. The Nevermore's weak neck was exposed, and two heavy slashes from both Sage and Yatsuhashi put the Grimm down for good.

The beast's head fell on the ground in front of the young redhead, and she looked towards Sun. "Sun, can you lend me your scroll?"

The monkey Faunus grinned and used his tail to fling it over to her. Ruby caught it and called her locker to her. Crescent Rose landed on the ground and Ruby went to get it when a Griffon flew down to attack her. She backed away from it, and it flew off as a shot from a gun hit it in its body.

"Students," Professor Port said, his voice booming. "I think it would be best for you to leave." He lowered his blunderaxe, and Doctor Oobleck was standing next to him.

"But, we can fight!" Ruby protested.

"Miss Rose, this day is sure to go down in Remnant's history," Oobleck reprimanded gently. "I'd prefer if my students lived to talk about it."

Ruby opened her mouth, but she knew he was right. They'd only get in the way. _'Alright.'_ She grabbed Crescent Rose and spun it in her hands. "Let's move!"

She led the students out of the arena, and she could hear Professor Port let out a cackle. "Hahahaha! One final match, Barty! Place your bets!"

' _He really needs to get checked out,'_ Ruby thought dryly as she ran towards the airstrips. _'Professor Port has way too much fun shooting things. I'm starting to see what Qrow meant when he called him a crazy old man.'_

Her heart thumped painfully in her chest at the thought of Qrow. Was he alright? Was he hurt? Where was he? _'Qrow…where are you?'_ She had to keep calm for the sake of everyone else with her, but worry seeped into her heart like a thorn. She would do anything to have him here with her. His mere presence would be more than enough to calm her panic.

She shook her head firmly. They had a job to do, and that was securing Beacon.

When they reached the airstrip, General Ironwood was standing over the disappearing carcass of a Beowolf Alpha. "This area is secure."

"What's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Grimm are crawling all over the city. The White Fang is attacking Beacon, and to make matters worse, some…vagabond has seized one of my ships." Ironwood scowled at the last bit. "Until we can regain control of the skies, this fight is not going to go our way. So I'm going to take it back." He fired his pistol at an approaching Creeper, killing it before it could bite Ren's head off.

"What should we do?" Jaune asked, looking at the disappearing Grimm.

"You have two choices," Ironwood replied. "Either save yourselves, or defend your school and home. No one will fault you if you leave."

He turned and headed into his own personal ship, flying off towards the carrier in the skies, and Sun let out a scoff. "I mean, come on."

"We can take a ship back to Beacon," Jaune added on. The students all ran onboard the ship, and Ruby watched as their shuttle crept towards the school. She hoped that finally, things would start turning around and they could change the tide of this battle.

But she was wrong.

It happened so suddenly. One minute, Ironwood's ship was flying, and the next, it was nothing more than a fireball plummeting towards the ground.

Ruby's eyes were wide with horror, and she gritted her teeth before rushing out of the ship despite Sun's desperate cry. _'They need that ship! Otherwise, the Grimm are going to destroy everything!'_

She activated her semblance again, landing on the pad. She sprinted back to the arena, where the corpses of Griffons lied on the ground. All of the Grimm were dead, meaning Port and Oobleck had easily held them off while they got away. The two professors though were nowhere to be seen, meaning they must have retreated back to defend the city from more Grimm.

Ruby found her weapons locker and held onto it tight, punching in a quick code. The locker took off towards the sky, arching in the inky black night towards the stolen carrier. Ruby fired her rifle to provide extra boost, and she landed on the deck of the ship.

Griffons and Nevermores swarmed the skies, screeching loudly as they were shot down by Beacon's remaining and dwindling defenses. One Griffon attacked her, and Ruby spun her scythe furiously. Two quick attacks took out its wings, and the last one decapitated it.

Ruby panted to catch her breath, and she turned when she heard the clicking of a camera. "Huh?"

There was the young woman who helped Roman Torchwick and the same one who beat Yang in a fight at the beginning of their second semester, Neo. Ruby's blood boiled, and she glared at the criminal. "Out of my way."

The quiet girl grinned, and despite her anger, Ruby felt a shiver of fear creep up her spine. It wasn't a smile of someone who wanted to be friendly. It was the sadistic baring of fangs from a killer, and Ruby readied herself for one hard battle.

She knew Neo more than outmatched her in terms of skill and her semblance seemed to be that of illusions. But she had to try. Not for those she had lost, but for those she still had. _'Weiss, Blake, Yang…Qrow…'_

Ruby rushed the mute with her scythe in hand, leaving a trail of rose pedals behind her. A fierce yell escaped her lips, and the edge of her scythe hit nothing but one of Neo's illusions. Ruby tried to recover before she got hit with the hidden sword in her umbrella, and though she blocked the first strike, she was unprepared for the kick that followed through.

Her aura took the blow, but Ruby still winced. She knew not to take Neo's small stature lightly; even if she was shorter than her, she was incredibly agile and hard to hit without her semblance.

Ruby went for a powerful sweeping attack, extending the blade of her scythe, and Neo jumped backwards to reveal Roman Torchwick. He chuckled and fired his cane at her, the young redhead barely blocking the round. The force of it sent her tumbling, and she used the blade of Crescent Rose to prevent from falling off the ship.

"Little Red, Little Red," Roman said mockingly, resting his cane in his hands. "You are just determined to be the hero of Vale, aren't you?"

"What are you doing?" she asked, getting up. "Without these ships the Grimm will destroy everything!"

"That's the idea!" He let out a cackle, and Ruby ducked under a few swings from both him and Neo.

"But why!? What do you get out of it!?" she demanded.

"You're asking the wrong questions, Red," Roman snapped back. "It's not what I have to gain; it's that I can't afford to lose!"

It was difficult enough only having to deal with Neo. But with Roman now entering the fray, it was practically impossible to win. But Ruby was a huntress, and huntresses didn't run away from their duty.

Ruby spun Crescent Rose to deflect a pair of shots from Roman, sending them back to him. Neo covered him with her umbrella, using her semblance to appear behind her and hit her hard in the back. Ruby let out a yelp of pain, and Roman blasted her in the chest with another shot from his cane.

Ruby flew back to Neo like she was a pinball, and Neo kicked her to the edge of the ship, dangling haphazardly over the edge with Griffons and Nevermores flying below her. She was clutching onto Crescent Rose for her life, kicking a Griffon away.

Meanwhile, Neo approached her, extending her sword from her cane and dragging it along the hull of the ship before pointing it at her. Roman folded his hands and shook his head. "I may be a gambling man, but even I know there are some bets you just don't make. Like it or not, the people who hired me are going to change the world. And you know the old saying; if you can't beat them, join them!"

Neo went to strike down, and Ruby noticed the button on the girl's umbrella. With a burst of speed, she reached up and clicked it.

Neo gasped and was dragged off the ship.

"NEO!" Roman extended his hand to help her, but it was far too late. She had already disappeared into the inky swirl of death and chaos below her.

"I don't care what you say!" Ruby yelled, crawling up until she was facing her nemesis again. "We will stop them, and I'll stop you! BET ON THAT!"

Blinded with anger, she charged him, and Roman hit her in the side with his cane. Her aura was still holding strong, but it hurt every time she was struck by him as he ranted on. "You have spirit, Red, but this is the real world!" He hit her in the legs.

"The real world doesn't care about spirit!" He went to hit her when Ruby punched him in the face.

The criminal stumbled, and he spat out blood. "You want to be like the story? Then play your part and die like every other huntsman in history!" He knocked her to the ground, preparing to strike again.

"As for me, I'll do what I do best. Lie, cheat, steal, and surv—"

He was cut off by a large Griffon landing and eating him headfirst. His legs disappeared into the Grimm's mouth, and it licked its lips with a large tongue before roaring at the redhead.

It leapt at her, and Ruby jumped over it, kicking it to send it crashing into the cockpit of the ship. It erupted into flame, and the young leader stumbled as she realized what she had done. Not only had she made sure that Roman was dead, but she had also taken out the rogue carrier and was sending it to plummet towards the ground.

With her still on it. _'Ah…crap.'_

Ruby broke into a run, grabbing Crescent Rose and yanking it from the twisted metal. She jumped off the ship, feeling the wind rush on her face as she plummeted towards the ground.

When she fell about a thousand feet or so, she spun in the air and started firing her rifle, using the recoil to slow her descent to make sure she could land safely without crashing into the ground and causing the biggest crater in Beacon's history.

She hoped the rest of Beacon was holding out okay.

 _ **A/N: Next up, part three of the Fall. Again, sorry it took so long. Hopefully with my schedule clearing up, I can write a little bit more. Still, you never know.**_

 _ **C. Strife #5371**_


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